LAOS— A Singaporean pilot is among 13 people detained after Lao authorities seized 521kg of suspected methamphetamine from a private Learjet at Luang Prabang International Airport (LPQ) on October 1.
The aircraft had earlier departed Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB) in Subang, Malaysia, but Malaysian police said it left without carrying the drug shipment.
The Royal Malaysia Police said the aircraft carried three people on its flight from Subang: a Singaporean pilot, a Malaysian co-pilot and a Filipino passenger. Investigators believe the drugs were loaded in Laos and were ultimately intended for the Manila market rather than Malaysia.
Private Jet Reaches Laos Airport Area
The Learjet reached Luang Prabang at about 11:30 a.m. local time on October 1. Lao authorities had received intelligence on September 21 about a suspected cross-border trafficking operation involving a private aircraft, prompting security units to monitor the flight.
At about 1:30 p.m., two vehicles arrived near the airport and airport personnel helped transfer 23 bags toward the aircraft.
Authorities inspected the luggage and discovered 500 packages of suspected methamphetamine weighing a combined 521kg.
Reports from Lao authorities said 21 of the 23 suitcases contained the suspected drugs, while the remaining bags contained ordinary personal belongings.
The aircraft, identified as a Learjet registered as N73GP, was also seized as part of the investigation.
13 People Detained After Major Seizure
The arrests involved the three people who had travelled from Subang as well as 10 Lao nationals. The Lao nationals included three airport ground-handling employees and seven workers involved in operating X-ray scanning equipment, The Straits Times reported.
The case initially raised questions over whether the methamphetamine had originated in Malaysia because the aircraft had flown from Subang.
However, Malaysian narcotics authorities have since clarified that the aircraft reportedly departed Malaysia without the drug shipment before collecting the cargo in Laos.
The clarification also changes the suspected route of the trafficking operation. Police believe the methamphetamine was being moved from Laos toward the Philippines, with Manila identified as the intended destination.
Malaysia Expands Investigation into Laos Seizure
Bukit Aman’s Narcotics Crime Investigation Department has opened a wider investigation into the case. Authorities plan to send officers to Laos to record statements from those detained and gather additional information about the suspected trafficking network.
Malaysian police are also examining whether any individuals or activities in Malaysia could be connected to the operation.
Officials have stressed that it remains too early to establish links with other drug-related aviation cases under investigation in the region.
The seizure highlights the international nature of the suspected operation, involving an aircraft departing Malaysia, a drug shipment loaded in Laos and an alleged final destination in the Philippines.
Lao authorities continue to hold the suspects while investigations into the source of the drugs, the planned flight and the wider network proceed.
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