Cover image via @bcsoetta (Instagram)Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
As Malaysian authorities continue investigating the Malaysia Airlines pilot arrested in Indonesia, police are now focused on one key question: was he part of a wider organised crime operation?
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) is working to determine whether the 39-year-old Malaysian was acting alone or was connected to organised drug syndicates.
The investigation comes after Malaysian narcotics officers questioned the pilot in Jakarta last week, during which they reportedly obtained information about his alleged previous drug runs and drug networks operating in Malaysia and overseas.
Saifuddin said he receives regular updates from NCID director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan and is inclined to let the department complete its investigation before any further decisions are made.
"We need to establish whether this is part of organised crime or an isolated individual act. We must verify all these facts before deciding on our next move," he said.
Police are trying to map the alleged drug operation
Saifuddin said the immediate priority is to obtain as much information as possible from the suspect and use it to understand how the alleged operation worked.
This includes determining the operational patterns behind the suspected drug trafficking activity and whether the pilot's alleged actions were connected to a wider network.
The development follows several revelations from the NCID's questioning of the pilot in Jakarta.
Police have said he allegedly told investigators that he had been transporting drugs out of Malaysia to several countries since 2024, using his flight schedule to determine his destinations.
He also reportedly provided information about several drug syndicates operating in Malaysia and other countries, including Indonesia.
Malaysia has yet to decide on his extradition
The pilot was arrested at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta on 28 July after Indonesian authorities seized 15 packets containing about 70,000 ecstasy and methamphetamine capsules, weighing about 25kg and estimated to be worth RM45 million.
Indonesian police said the pilot had allegedly been promised RM50,000 to act as a courier for the shipment.
Malaysian authorities are now trying to establish whether that shipment was an isolated operation or part of a larger organised drug trafficking network before deciding on their next move.
