TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Budget carrier Lion Air confirmed that one of their pilots was arrested by the Kupang Police`s Drugs Unit for using methamphetamine at Hotel T-More in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.
“Lion Air’s Pilot with the initials of MS on Monday, December 4, was questioned for allegedly using drugs during an operation at his hotel room in Kupang,” Lion Air Group spokesperson Ramaditya Handoko told Tempo on Tuesday, December 5.
MS was arrested on Monday night at 9:20 p.m. Central Indonesia Time. The captain of Lion Air’s JT 924 flight serving the Denpasar-Kupang route was found consuming 0.3 gram of meth.
The Lion Air spokesman revealed that MS was one of the senior pilots who had been working for the airline since 2014. According to Rama, MS was in a good health condition and showed exemplary behaviors. He clarified that Lion Air always conducts medical check on crews every morning. Their pilots are required to undergo medical check-up biennially.
Rama said that Lion Air would take disciplinary actions should MS be proven using drugs. He asserted that Lion Air would continue to support endeavors to prevent and eradicate drug uses and distributions among crews.
Earlier in June, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) arrested Rahul Sharma, an Indian pilot employed by Lion Air, after tested positive for using drugs during an impromptu urine test conducted at Lombok International Airport. Rahul was taken to BNN’s headquarters at Cawang, East Jakarta.
BUDIARTI UTAMI PUTRI