appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

The Star

A decision has yet to be made on whether Malaysian authorities will file an extradition request for a local pilot arrested in Indonesia, according to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Saifuddin said on Tuesday that investigations should be concluded first.
“Let the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) complete their investigations first and decide the next step forward, including the matter of extradition. He was arrested there and is subject to the laws of that country,” he said.
“For now, our goal is to obtain as much information as we can on the pattern to see if it is part of an organised crime element or the actions of a lone person and the like. We have to establish all of the facts before deciding the next move.”
The Malaysian Airlines pilot was arrested at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 28, after officers discovered 15 large packages containing 70,114 Ecstasy pills and methamphetamine in his luggage.
Malaysian police were allowed to question the 39-year-old suspect in Jakarta last week.


NCID director Commissioner Hussein Omar Khan said on Sunday that, during questioning, the pilot revealed he had been smuggling drugs since 2024, and revealed information on several drug syndicates in Malaysia and other countries, including Indonesia.
“Police will conduct further investigations into identified syndicate members, including examining financial flows linked to drug sales, Hussein said. “Information on the international syndicate network will also be shared with drug enforcement agencies in the countries concerned.”
Investigations found no indication of insider involvement at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) when the suspect passed through security checks. “This means he acted alone when passing through the checks, and this needs to be examined further to determine how the drugs went undetected,” he said.
However, Hussein did not disclose the method allegedly used by the suspect to evade security checks to avoid compromising the investigation.
The pilot remains in the custody of Indonesian police and will have to undergo the legal process in the country. Investigations were still ongoing to determine the number of shipments, destination countries and the amount of payment received by the suspect since 2024, Hussein said.
This article combines two reports by The Star


Kimi creator Moonshot draws global funds seeking ‘top-tier’ Chinese AI developers: sources

Malaysian councillor resigns after DAP remarks at Umno assembly

Singapore ministers earn millions. What do other Asian leaders make?

How Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis should be judged

Malaysia

Malaysia holds off on pilot extradition request pending Indonesian drug probe

A Malaysia Airlines pilot is seen on CCTV wheeling two bags, later found to contain drugs, at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 28. Photo: Handout 

Malaysian police investigate how pilot smuggled drugs past 4 layers of airport checks

Indonesian Customs officials display the uniform of a Malaysian pilot arrested for drug smuggling  during a press conference at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday. Photo: AFP

Security officers at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport inspect the bag of a Malaysia Airlines pilot suspected of  smuggling drugs on July 28. Photo: Instagram/bcsoetta 

Thai police on July 4 display evidence seized from a man believed to have delivered heroin to a Thai airline crew member who is later charged in Australia. Photo: Royal Thai Police/Reuters

Pilot’s arrest spotlights Malaysia’s growing status as regional drug transit hub

Indonesian Customs officials display drugs smuggled by a Malaysian pilot as evidence during a press conference at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 31. Photo: AFP

Members of the Royal Malaysia Police display seized illegal drugs and drug-making equipment during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur in December 2025. Photo: AFP

Discovery of almost 1,000 weapons in Indonesian school fuels safety fears

A total of 995 airsoft guns and one live firearm at Harapan Ibu Islamic School Foundation were seized by Indonesian police. Photo: YouTube/Trijaya FM

US transshipment ‘scam’ claims put Asean exporters in a bind

A container lifter is used to organise goods containers at a port in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo: AP

A container ship is seen near the Hai Phong International Container Terminal in Vietnam. Photo: Reuters

Workers pack furniture for export to the United States at a factory in Malaysia last year. Photo: AP

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, who led “The Great Transshipment Scam” report, speaks to reporters on August 11. Photo: EPA

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

The goal now is to obtain information to see if the Malaysian Airlines pilot acted alone or was part of a network, the home minister says


The goal now is to obtain information to see if the Malaysian Airlines pilot acted alone or was part of a network, the home minister says.


Malaysia holds off on pilot extradition request pending Indonesian drug probe

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The goal now is to obtain information to see if the Malaysian Airlines pilot acted alone or was part of a network, the home minister says

The goal now is to obtain information to see if the Malaysian Airlines pilot acted alone or was part of a network, the home minister says