Police freeze bank accounts, assets of second pilot linked to Jakarta drug arrest

Police have frozen bank accounts and other financial assets linked to a second pilot arrested over the RM45 million drug seizure involving a Malaysia Airlines pilot in Indonesia, the New Straits Times reported.

Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Hussein Omar Khan said investigators are scrutinising the suspect’s bank accounts and other financial records, but declined to disclose the amount of money involved.

“He (second pilot) is part of the syndicate involved in the flow of money obtained from the sale of drugs.

“He played a role in helping the co-pilot receive the money and transfer it,” Hussein was quoted as saying.

According to the report, police suspect the pilot acted as an intermediary between the Malaysia Airlines pilot and the drug syndicate.

Hussein (above) said those who assisted drug traffickers by receiving proceeds or allowing their bank accounts to be used could also be treated as being involved in drug trafficking.

“We are not holding him under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act, but have instead detained him under special preventive measures for 60 days,” he said.

The detention, under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act, began on the day of the suspect’s arrest.

Hussein said the case would later be referred to the Advisory Board, which would decide whether to detain the suspect for a further two years.

Seven nabbed

The Malaysian pilot, who is in his 30s, was arrested in the Klang Valley on Sept 7, bringing the number of people detained locally in connection with the case to seven.

The investigation stems from the arrest of a Malaysia Airlines second officer at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in July.

Indonesian authorities reportedly found 15 packets containing about 70,000 capsules suspected to contain ecstasy and methamphetamine, weighing about 25kg and estimated to be worth RM45 million.

Six other Malaysians, aged between 23 and 50, had previously been arrested over suspected links to the syndicate.

Police believe they acted as suppliers and transporters for the pilot, occupying both “upline” and “downline” roles in the drug distribution network.

They were also detained under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act.

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