Bukit Aman confirms another M'sian arrested over alleged drug smuggling in Surabaya

The police have confirmed the arrest of a 22-year-old Malaysian in Indonesia for allegedly attempting to smuggle 990g of methamphetamine and 1,089 ecstasy pills.

Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Hussein Omar Khan said the suspect was nabbed at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java.

“Yes, the NCID will follow up on this case as well,” Hussein told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Indonesian media identified the suspect by the initials DI and reported that the drugs were concealed beneath a corset strapped to the suspect’s body.

“Four packages of syabu (methamphetamine) weighing around 1kg, and four packages of around 1,000 ecstasy (MDMA) pills. All strapped to the body,” Hussein said.

The drugs were estimated to be worth Rp2.9 billion (RM660,000).

Juanda Airport Security Task Force commander Novi Manunggal reportedly said the arrest followed a tip-off from the Juanda Customs Enforcement and Investigation Team.

“We received information at around 9.50am local time regarding a passenger who was under suspicion,” Novi said, as quoted by online portal Kompas.com today.

The suspect had arrived on Batik Air flight OD 352 from Kuala Lumpur at 10.16am on July 29.

“Officers then deployed personnel to the apron area, immigration checkpoints, and the Customs X-ray screening area,” said Novi.

Preliminary investigations reportedly found that the suspect had agreed to act as a drug courier because of financial problems and debt.

KLIA security questions

The arrest came a day after a Malaysian pilot was detained at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta after Indonesian authorities allegedly found drugs in his possession.

Earlier today, Hussein said that investigations into the pilot’s arrest had identified an airport employee in his 30s as a person of interest in probing how the alleged drugs could have passed through security screening at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

While both cases involve Malaysians arrested in Indonesia after departing from Malaysia, there is no indication they are linked.

Under Article 113(2) of Indonesia’s Law No 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, both Malaysians face either the death penalty, life imprisonment, or between five and 20 years in prison.

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