A Malaysia Airlines co-pilot was arrested at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on 28 July after Indonesian customs officers discovered more than 26 kilogrammes of ecstasy pills and a quantity of methamphetamine in his luggage. The 39-year-old, identified by Malaysian authorities as Mohd Saufi bin Othman, had flown from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and passed through several layers of security checks before departure, according to Malaysian officials.

The case was raised at a Malaysian cabinet meeting in Putrajaya on Wednesday, where ministers received briefings from the home and transport ministries. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, the government spokesman, told reporters that “several improvement measures need to be implemented immediately.” He said the government is considering stationing officers of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) inside the airport, where security screening is currently handled by auxiliary police drawn from civilian volunteers. Malaysia Airlines will also be required to revise its protocols for background and health checks on pilots and co-pilots, Fahmi added.

Malaysian police have identified a uniformed staff member at KLIA as a person of interest in the investigation. The director of the federal narcotics crime investigation department, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, confirmed that the individual was among those involved in airport screening and would be summoned for questioning. Preliminary inquiries indicate the co-pilot did not obtain the drugs at the airport but collected them from an apartment in the Ampang area, Hussein said.

The case remains under active investigation by Indonesian authorities, and the co-pilot could face the death penalty if convicted. The Malaysian government has said it will conduct a full review once it receives a complete report from Indonesia, while police have been instructed to examine all potential security gaps at KLIA and to identify any other individuals who may have been involved.