Police Identify ‘Insider’ Involved in Pilot Drug Smuggling Case

SHAH ALAM: Police have identified a uniformed staff member on duty at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to investigate the reason why drugs carried by a co‑pilot managed to pass through security screening there.

Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (JSJN) Director, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said that the staff member, in his 30s, was involved in the security screening procedures at KLIA.

He said that the man passed through security screening via a special lane for staff, which has the same inspection method as that undergone by passengers.

“So far, we have identified one person and we will contact him for questioning; if necessary, we will make an arrest. That is, a staff member at the airport who was involved in the screening,” he told reporters in a press conference here today.

He added that the man passed through the first security screening, which meant he did not need to undergo further inspection as would be required for others if any suspicious item was detected.

“The screening procedure at KLIA has several levels up to the fourth level. So, if he passes the first level, which is done automatically through the existing scanning system, he will not go to the second level.

“However, if at the first level something suspicious is detected in the authorities’ inspection, he will go to the third level. In this case, he went through and passed the first screening. When nothing suspicious was detected, the item (prohibited goods) would go through,” he explained.

Utusan Malaysia yesterday reported that a team of investigators from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will be sent to Indonesia to obtain information regarding the arrest of a Malaysia Airlines Bhd (Malaysia Airlines) pilot who was detained for allegedly smuggling drugs into that country.

The 39‑year‑old co‑pilot was arrested at Terminal 3, Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Jakarta after Indonesian Customs and Excise officers detected a suspicious object in his luggage during an X‑ray scanner inspection at the international arrival hall.

Further inspection found 14 large packages containing 70,114 ecstasy pills weighing 25.19 kilograms, in addition to one package of methamphetamine weighing 2.75 grams and methamphetamine residue weighing 0.08 grams in a glass pipe.

Hussein further said that his side is cooperating with the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to obtain information on how the authorities there managed to detect the drugs.

“Whether they used a system or physical inspection or a combination of both. Or whether they also received information through random checks and so on.

“We are also waiting for the green light from Polri to allow the officers who will be sent there to interview (take statements from) the suspect involved,” he added.

Meanwhile, he also identified the suspect’s movements on the day of the incident, where he first flew to Kota Kinabalu from KLIA before returning and going to Jakarta.

“Police are looking at the entire spectrum of drug distribution. The suspect is believed to have obtained the drug supply from an apartment area in Ampang (two days before his arrest). We have also obtained the phone number that was contacted (by the suspect).

“Among the matters we discussed yesterday with the Ministry of Transport, we all agreed that there is a need to tighten or improve the inspection procedures at KLIA,” he said.

Utusan Malaysia