Luang Prabang:A Malaysian national is among 13 people detained by Laotian authorities after a significant drug bust involving 521 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine found aboard a private jet last week.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department in Malaysia reported that the Learjet, which carried the drugs, had flown from Subang, Selangor, to Luang Prabang International Airport in Laos. However, the detained Malaysian suspect was not a passenger on the flight.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the 13 individuals arrested include the pilot, co-pilot, a foreign tourist, three private-sector employees, and seven airport staff, among them three women. The jet, registered as N73GP, contained 23 suitcases, 21 of which were filled with white crystalline substances believed to be drugs, totaling 521 kilograms.

The operation was initiated at 1:30 pm following a tip-off on September 21 about a potential cross-border syndicate. The Laotian police successfully prevented the smuggling attempt on October 1. As investigations continue, connections to a previous case involving a Malaysian pilot in Indonesia remain unconfirmed.