A pilot has been arrested at an airport after allegedly trying to smuggle 57lb of ecstasy and a small amount of methamphetamine in his luggage.
CCTV footage shows the moment Customs officers ordered the uniformed man to open his suitcase before uncovering the suspicious packages hidden inside.
The pilot arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Malaysia Airlines flight MH727 from Kuala Lumpur in the early hours of Wednesday (29 July).
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After landing at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, he made his way through the arrivals hall and completed his customs declaration.
As a member of the flight crew, the pilot – identified only as 39-year-old Malaysian national M.S. – was initially directed to the fast-track lane.
However, after carrying out a risk assessment based on his profile and movements, Customs officers selected him for further inspection.
A search of his suitcase uncovered 26kg (57lb) of ecstasy, equivalent to 70,114 pills, as well as 4g (0.14oz) of methamphetamine, as reported by Need To Know.
Officers also seized a small bottle containing urine, which investigators believe had been prepared to falsify the results of a urine drug test if one was requested.
The Soekarno-Hatta Customs Office said: “Through risk analysis, profiling, officer observations, and X-ray and physical inspections, the smuggling attempt was successfully foiled.
“The suspect and the seized evidence were subsequently handed over to the Indonesian National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) for further investigation and efforts to identify the wider trafficking network.”
During questioning, M.S. allegedly admitted he had been promised 50,000 MYR (£9,086) to deliver the ecstasy, which was to be collected from his hotel.
He also reportedly confessed to transporting methamphetamine on two previous occasions, once to Sabah, Malaysia, and once to Jakarta.
M.S. underwent a drug test and reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine.
Malaysia Airlines said in a statement that it “wishes to reiterate that it does not tolerate any form of misconduct and is currently undertaking an internal review of the matter.”
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