A Malaysia Airlines pilot has been arrested in Indonesia after allegedly attempting to smuggle narcotics into the country while operating a scheduled passenger flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta.
Mohd Saufi bin Othman, 39, was detained by Indonesian authorities at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after Flight MH727 landed in Jakarta.
Authorities allege that he was carrying more than 70,000 ecstasy pills along with methamphetamine and later tested positive for multiple narcotics, raising concerns that he had operated the aircraft while under the influence of drugs.
The flight was carrying approximately 170 passengers.
Drugs Found During Customs Inspection
According to Indonesian authorities, the pilot believed that flight crew baggage would not be subject to detailed customs inspections upon arrival.
“Until now, MS (Saufi) had assumed that the items carried by flight crew, both pilots and flight attendants, would not be subject to strict inspection. However, his assumption was wrong,” said Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang, Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Customs Main Service Office, as quoted by Kompas.
The arrest followed a customs inspection at Terminal 3 International Arrivals after officers identified a suspicious suitcase during X-ray screening.
“Officers noticed a suspicious suitcase after it was taken by its owner, Mohd Saufi bin Othman, a pilot for a foreign airline,” said Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, Director of Narcotics Crimes at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency.
A subsequent search uncovered thousands of ecstasy pills and multiple packages of methamphetamine concealed inside the luggage. Customs officials then referred the case to the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency’s Directorate of Narcotics for further investigation.
During questioning, Saufi allegedly admitted that he had been instructed to transport the drugs to Jakarta in exchange for a payment of RM50,000.
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Pilot Tested Positive for Three Drugs
Following his arrest, investigators conducted a urine test, which authorities said returned positive results for methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine.
“The urine test results showed he was positive for methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cocaine. So, he was using drugs at the time of the flight,” Hengky told reporters.
Authorities also alleged that the pilot attempted to prepare for possible drug screening by carrying a bottle containing what was believed to be “clean” urine.
According to Soekarno-Hatta Customs spokesperson Satria Yudhatama, the bottle was discovered during the investigation.
“Based on information from the monitoring unit, a bottle containing urine was found, as a precaution in case the person was subjected to a urine test,” he said.
Although the bottle had not been used, investigators believe it was intended to help the suspect avoid detection during a surprise drug screening.
“Inside the suspect, Pilot MSO, a small bottle containing a yellow liquid was found, which turned out to be urine. He admitted that the bottle contained ‘clean’ urine before he consumed narcotics. Therefore, if a surprise urine test is conducted by the airline or aviation authorities, the urine in the bottle will be used,” Satria explained.
Hengky added that the positive drug test indicated the suspect had been under the influence while operating the aircraft.
“So, he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the flight,” he said.
Malaysia Airlines Responds
Malaysia Airlines said it is cooperating with the Indonesian authorities while an internal review is underway.
In a statement reported by Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama, the airline said it would not comment further because the investigation remains ongoing.
“Malaysia Airlines would like to reiterate that it does not tolerate any form of misconduct and is currently conducting an internal review of the matter,” the airline said.
The carrier added that the safety, security and operational integrity of its services remain its highest priorities.
