THE NATIONAL Narcotics Agency (BNN) announced on Monday that an AirAsia Indonesia pilot, identified only by the initials FI, tested negative for drugs following a random test carried out by the Transportation Ministry, the Jakarta Post reports.
“The results of the BNN laboratory test have been released and they are negative,” BNN spokesman Comr. Sr. Sumirat Dwiyanto told the press in a conference as quoted by Antara news agency.
Sumirat said the agency received samples of FI’s urine and hair on Jan 1.
The pilot had undergone treatment in a hospital for typhoid fever and was still taking prescribed medicine on the day the drug test was administered.
“He was taking a number of prescribed drugs. This is not a drug-abuse case,” he said.
The results of the test were sent to the ministry’s aviation health division on Jan 9.
AirAsia Indonesia president director Sunu Widyatmoko said the airline would continue supporting the government’s anti-drug programme and would cooperate with relevant parties.
The pilot had earlier tested positive for morphine after being subjected to a random urine test conducted by the ministry in Bali following the AirAsia flight QZ8501 accident.
The tests involved 42 airline crew members, from which 41 tested negative and one positive.