KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- The seizure of 521 kilogrammes (kg) of methamphetamine aboard a private jet in Laos on Oct 1 did not originate from Malaysia, but was instead suspected to be smuggled from that country to the Philippines.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said based on information from Laotian authorities, the chartered aircraft departed from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang to Luang Prabang without carrying any cargo.
He said the flight from Subang carried only three individuals comprising a Singaporean pilot, a Malaysian co-pilot, and a Filipino passenger.
"The seized drugs were meant for the Manila market in the Philippines and not the Malaysian market. The aircraft departed from Subang Airport without any cargo before it was believed to have been used to transport the drug shipment from Laos to Manila," he said in a statement here tonight.
Elaborating on the timeline shared by Laotian authorities, he said the private aircraft arrived at Luang Prabang International Airport at about 11.30 am local time on Oct 1.
"At 1.30 pm, two vehicles arrived at the airport area, and several airport staff subsequently assisted in transferring 23 bags from the vehicles onto trolleys to be loaded onto the aircraft.
"An inspection of all 23 bags uncovered 500 packages of drugs suspected to be methamphetamine weighing 521 kg," he said.
Following the successful operation by Laotian authorities, a total of 13 individuals were arrested, including the three crew members and passenger who had departed from Subang.
Also arrested were 10 Laotian nationals, comprising three airport ground handling service staff and seven personnel operating X-ray scanning machines, with all suspects currently held in custody for further investigation by the country's authorities.
Following this, Hussein said the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has launched a comprehensive investigation and will send NCID officers to Laos in the near future to record statements from the suspects.
"This move aims to obtain further information regarding the drug syndicate involved, particularly (on the possible involvement of syndicate members) in Malaysia," he said.
The latest official statement clarifies the situation, following initial reports linking the arrival of the aircraft from Malaysia to the discovery of the drugs worth millions of ringgit.
-- BERNAMA