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It's been more than two weeks since a Malaysia Airlines pilot was detained in Indonesia for allegedly smuggling more than 70,000 ecstasy pills worth RM13.5 million into Jakarta
The 39-year-old Malaysian, whose name has not been released but whose photograph was published by the Indonesian Customs and Excise Office, was arrested at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on 28 July.
He has been charged under Articles 113(2), 114(2), and 132(1) of Indonesia's Law No. 35/2009 on Narcotics, which carry penalties ranging from life imprisonment to death by firing squad.
Earlier this week, a team from the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department of Bukit Aman in Malaysia flew to Jakarta after receiving permission from their Indonesian counterparts to interview the suspect at the Indonesian National Police Headquarters complex in South Jakarta.
The Bukit Aman officers have since completed their interrogation of the Malaysian pilot, according to his Indonesian lawyer Ahmad Rizky Martua Lubis.
The lawyer told Malaysiakini that the Malaysian officers met the suspect on Wednesday, 12 July, at the Indonesian National Police Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Jakarta.
He said the questioning, initially scheduled to take place over two days, was completed in a single day.
"The interrogation was scheduled to take place on Wednesday and Thursday, but it only took one full day, while [Thursday] was reserved for preparing the report," he said.
The pilot is facing up to four months' detention in Indonesia
Ahmad Rizky also confirmed with the Malaysian portal that the pilot is currently being held under an extended detention period of up to four months under Indonesia's narcotics laws.
The detention is carried out under Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, read together with Law No. 1 of 2023 on the Indonesian Criminal Code.
The Malaysia Airlines pilot's luggage being checked by Indonesian Customs officers.
Image via @bcsoetta (Instagram)His family was allowed multiple visits
According to the lawyer, the pilot's family has visited him several times since his arrest before returning to Kuala Lumpur.
"Alhamdulillah, he (the pilot) is healthy. He is eating and sleeping well," the lawyer said.
He added that Indonesian police had granted the family full access to meet the detained pilot.
"The pilot was brought out of detention to see his family. They talked and shared their feelings with one another," he said.
The family has requested privacy and has declined to comment further on the visits.
Meanwhile, the pilot's defence team will address the media in Jakarta next week
Ahmad Rizky said the pilot's six-member legal team is expected to hold a press conference in Jakarta next week to provide updates on the case.
"We are committed to representing a Malaysian citizen," he said.
"Indonesia upholds human rights, and under our law, all suspects charged with offences that carry a prison sentence of more than five years must be provided with legal representation."
The pilot remains under Indonesian jurisdiction as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, Malaysian authorities are also probing how the luggage allegedly containing drugs passed through security checks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), and whether the case is linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate.
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company behind Malaysia Airlines, has since introduced additional drug screening measures for all its pilots following the arrest.
