Four suspects in pilot drug case fled Malaysia after his arrest, says Bukit Aman

KUALA LUMPUR - Four of the six suspects arrested by Bukit Aman's Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) in connection with a cross-border drug trafficking case involving a pilot initially fled the country after learning of his arrest, police said.

The four suspects went to Thailand and Vietnam after the 39-year-old pilot was detained at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Indonesia.

Bukit Aman NCID director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said all six suspects were arrested between Aug 20 and 28.

"Four were found to have fled overseas, with two going to Thailand and another two to Vietnam.

"The two suspects who fled to Thailand were arrested after they returned to Malaysia by ferry through Kuah in Langkawi," he said when contacted on Friday (Sept 4).

Comm Hussein said the two suspects who fled to Vietnam were arrested upon their return through the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas.

"The other two suspects were arrested in Bukit Mertajam, Penang and Klang, Selangor respectively," he said.

He said all the suspects, aged between 23 and 50, are being detained under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985 to assist investigations.

Under the Act, police have the power to detain suspects for up to 60 days to facilitate investigations before further detention orders are issued.

Comm Hussein said some of the findings from the investigation would be shared with the Indonesian National Police (Polri) for further action.

The pilot was detained at the International Arrival Terminal of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after arriving from Kuala Lumpur on flight MH727 on July 28.

The arrest was made at about 11.30pm local time after Indonesian Customs officers detected suspicious luggage during an X-ray scan.

The pilot was subsequently directed to an examination room after collecting his luggage.

A further inspection uncovered 14 packets containing 70,114 ecstasy pills weighing about 25kg in his luggage, as well as 4g of methamphetamine in his carry-on items.

The drugs were estimated to be worth RM45 million.

Indonesian police previously said the co-pilot had allegedly been promised RM50,000 to transport the drugs to Jakarta, where they were to be collected by another individual from a hotel. - THE STAR