Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta respected Indonesia’s legal process after the authorities arrested a Malaysian pilot accused of attempting to smuggle 25 kilograms of illicit drugs into the country, while seeking consular access to its detained citizen.
In a statement received in Jakarta on Friday (July 31), the Malaysian Embassy said it had been informed by Indonesia’s National Police narcotics unit about the detention of the Malaysian national.
“The embassy respects Indonesia’s legal process and is engaging with the relevant Indonesian authorities,” the statement said.
The embassy added it was also working to obtain consular access to the detained Malaysian citizen.
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A pilot with the initials MSBO, 39, was arrested on July 28 after customs officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport’s Terminal 3 became suspicious of a suitcase he was carrying.
A search of the suitcase uncovered 14 large packages of ecstasy pills and one package containing methamphetamine, police said.
Police seized 70,114 ecstasy pills weighing a net 25,194.83 grams, Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, head of the National Police narcotics unit, said.
Investigators said MSBO told a joint interrogation team he had been promised 50,000 Malaysian ringgit for transporting the drugs by a person believed to be in Malaysia.
The payment was equivalent to about 220 million rupiah (US$13,400), based on the exchange rate cited by Indonesian police.
Related news: Malaysian pilot held in Jakarta with 25 kg of drugs
Soekarno-Hatta Customs Chief Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang said the suspect tested positive for narcotics after his arrest.
Before being detained, MSBO had operated Malaysia Airlines flight MH727 from Kuala Lumpur to Indonesia, carrying at least 170 passengers, Hengky said.
The case has entered the formal investigation stage and the suspect is being held at the National Police Criminal Investigation Department detention facility in Jakarta.
Prosecutors accused MSBO of violating multiple provisions of Indonesia’s 2009 Narcotics Law, including articles covering the trafficking, distribution and attempted distribution of illegal drugs.
If convicted under the charges, the suspect could face severe penalties under Indonesia’s anti-narcotics legislation, which provides for lengthy prison terms and, in the most serious cases, capital punishment.
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Translator: Nabil I, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fransiska Ninditya
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