Indonesia Arrests Malaysian Pilot With 70,114 Ecstasy Pills at Jakarta Airport

Q: How did a Malaysia Airlines pilot allegedly carry 70,000 ecstasy pills into Jakarta, and who was waiting to collect them?

He allegedly carried the pills in a checked suitcase that moved through the crew-baggage channel from Kuala Lumpur, where aircrew baggage is handled differently from regular passenger luggage. Indonesian customs said the bag was still flagged during an X-ray scan at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, and officers stopped him after he collected it at Terminal 3. Inside, they said they found 14 packages containing about 70,114 ecstasy pills, weighing roughly 25.2 kilograms, along with a package of methamphetamine. Authorities also said he had a small bottle of liquid believed to be urine, allegedly intended to help falsify a drug test. Investigators said the pilot, identified only as M.S.B.O. or MS, told them he had been promised 50,000 Malaysian ringgit to deliver the drugs to Jakarta. According to police, no collector was waiting at the airport itself. Instead, he said he was supposed to check into a hotel, receive further instructions from a contact believed to be in Malaysia, and then another person would come to the hotel to collect the shipment. Indonesian and Malaysian authorities are now examining whether the trafficking network exploited crew privileges and whether anyone helped the drugs pass screening before departure from Kuala Lumpur.

2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 5

Indonesian police said the pilot was stopped at Soekarno-Hatta airport on July 28 after X-ray scans flagged his luggage, and video released this week shows agents pulling him aside at customs.
70,114 ecstasy pills weighing 25,194.83 grams — about 55.5 pounds — plus a package of methamphetamine were found in his suitcase, and police said he also tested positive for ecstasy and cocaine.
50,000 Malaysian ringgit, or about $12,200, was the promised payment for carrying the drugs to Jakarta, where the pilot said he expected further instructions after checking into a hotel.
Investigators said he admitted two earlier drug runs, including a meth shipment to Sabah and another 15-pound meth delivery to Jakarta, widening the case beyond a single trip.
Malaysia Airlines said it was cooperating and conducting an internal review, while Indonesian narcotics charges in large trafficking cases can carry penalties up to the death sentence.