Embassy confirms two 'missing' Malaysians now in Indonesian police custody

The Malaysian Embassy here today confirmed that the two Malaysian men reported "missing" in Jakarta since March 30 are now in police custody.

Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim said Mohamad Shafa Ahmad and Kamarol Ariffin Mohamad Darus had been detected to be in the custody of Indonesian Police after the Malaysian Royal Police and Immigration Department attaches at the embassy carried out an investigation on their "disappearance".

However, he said the embassy had yet to receive any official notice from the Indonesian authority on the detention of the two men

"We have sent a team to meet with the authority and we are still waiting for the report from the Indonesian Police," he told Bernama here today.

The ambassador said the detention of the two men would be done through legal process in Indonesia and the embassy would provide any possible consular and legal assistance.

Zahrain also reminded all Malaysians visiting Indonesia to respect the laws of the country and not to bring any illegal items, especially drugs.

Bernama was made to understand that the Indonesian authority had detained the duo for the past 10 days without any announcement made, while the Wisma Putra issued a statement about the missing of the two men.

Based on Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the authority of a country which has arrested or detained a foreign national must "without delay" notify the embassy or consulate involved of that arrest.

Mohamad Shafa, 29 and Kamarol Arifin, 27, were reported missing after arriving in Jakarta on an AirAsia flight from KL international Airport 2 (klia2) on March 29.

The dispatch rider and a factory technician from Kampung Sijangkang, Teluk Panglima Garang, Selangor, came to Jakarta to watch the concert of popular disc jockey Armin Van Buren at the Jakarta International Expo site here.

Both of them did not contact their families since arriving in Jakarta and also did not check into the hotel room which they had booked.

Mohamad Shafa's brother-in-law Mohamad Hafizul Razali had also flown to Jakarta to search for them.

Earlier today, a Malaysian businessman here, Datuk Dr Fauzi Mohamad, disclosed that he and his wife, Datin Zaitun Evitania, had visited the police station at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport several times to meet with the two men.

He said he was informed that the two men were arrested to facilitate further investigation on a drug case and that he was also trying to engage a lawyer for the duo. -- Bernama