A second Malaysian pilot was arrested for allegedly handling proceeds from sales linked to an airport drug smuggling case
The first pilot, arrested in July, was allegedly caught with ecstasy, methamphetamine, and tools to falsify drug test results
Malaysia Airlines implemented mandatory drug screening for pilots following the first arrest amid the ongoing investigation
Another Malaysian pilot has been arrested amid an ongoing investigation into a drug smuggling case at an Indonesian airport, according to local reports.
On July 28, a Malaysia Airlines pilot was arrested in the baggage inspection area at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia. A video shared by the country's Directorate General of Customs and Excise shows the man retrieving his luggage from the carousel before passing through a controlled customs checkpoint. There, officers say they searched his bag and found multiple illicit substances.
Authorities reportedly seized 70,114 ecstasy pills weighing about 26 kilograms (57 pounds) as well as 4 grams of methamphetamine. "Officers also seized a small bottle of urine, suspected of being prepared to falsify urine test results if required during the investigation," a social media post says.
The individual was later determined to be a 39-year-old Malaysian national, only identified by his initials, MS.
During a Sept. 9 press conference, the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) announced it had arrested a second pilot suspect believed to have been in charge of handling the proceeds of drug sales.
"He was caught in the Klang Valley [Malaysia] area and is in his 30s. He was involved in the handling of the money, specifically in the transferring of money," director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan told reporters, per local newspaper The Star. He is believed to have worked for a different airline from the first pilot who was arrested in Indonesia in late July. However, that airline was not revealed.
PEOPLE has reached out to local law enforcement for comment.
This announcement comes after authorities previously said they had arrested six additional suspects between Aug. 11 and 15 in connection with the case.
"Drugs tests conducted showed that he tested negative for drugs. So this arrest brings the total arrest to seven as of now," the director said. The additional suspects are believed to be suppliers and carriers who provided the drugs to the first pilot.
Officials initially reported the pilot known as MS was promised a payment of 50,000 Malaysian Ringgit ($12,200) to transport the substance to Jakarta, Indonesia's capital. He was allegedly instructed to check into a local hotel before a scheduled handoff.
Further investigation revealed the pilot tested positive for drugs shortly after his arrest, including "MDMA, ecstasy, methamphetamine and cocaine," per Indonesian National Police.
Following the arrest, Malaysia Airlines claimed the pilot was not operating the aircraft. In a press release shared with PEOPLE, the company said he was a second officer "traveling in the cockpit jump seat as an observer and was not the pilot flying the aircraft." They added that MS had also been off duty for two days prior to his arrest. They said the plane, carrying 170 passengers, was instead safely flown by "two qualified operating pilots."
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) "views the actions of the individual as completely unacceptable and contrary to the professional standard expected of its personnel," the release said. In response, the company began "mandatory drug screening for all Malaysia Airlines pilots."
Investigators later determined the pilot had previously been involved in prior drug smuggling assignments. According to INP, MS had previously transported methamphetamine to Sabah, Malaysia, and another 7-kilogram package (15 pounds) of methamphetamine to Jakarta on a previous trip.
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PEOPLE reached out to Malaysia Airlines inquiring when the carrier became aware of the alleged prior drug smuggling assignments but did not receive an immediate response.
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