SEPANG (Aug 3): All security screening procedures involving pilots and flight crew at airports nationwide will be enhanced, said Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.

He said a meeting chaired on Monday by Transport Ministry (MOT) secretary general Datuk Seri Jana Santhiran Muniayan, involving AKPS, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), is reviewing measures to strengthen existing airport security procedures.

Mohd Shuhaily said AKPS and all relevant agencies are treating seriously the recent incident involving a Malaysian pilot who was arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of attempting to smuggle drugs.

"Representatives from MAG also attended the meeting, and they are taking the matter very, very seriously. All existing procedures will be enhanced in the near future.

“We have also been informed that all pilots and crew members, or staff, will undergo more comprehensive screening,” he said at a press conference here on Monday.

On July 31, the media reported that a Malaysian pilot was arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of attempting to smuggle drugs, including 25kg of ecstasy worth about 60 billion rupiah (RM13.58 million), into the country.

Indonesia's Director-General of Customs and Excise, Djaka Budi Utama, said the 39-year-old suspect was arrested shortly after arriving at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta on July 29 after operating an international passenger flight from Kuala Lumpur. The drugs were allegedly found concealed in his luggage.

Elaborating further, Mohd Shuhaily said the pilot had cleared all security screening procedures at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) before departing on July 28.

“During the routine screening using scanners, neither the items nor the luggage carried by the suspect raised any suspicious images.

“As such, he passed the standard security screening conducted at KLIA. We are still awaiting feedback from PDRM so that we can review how he was able to pass the screening,” he said.

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