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The National Police vowed on Monday to maintain independence in investigating drug use among Lion Air pilots despite their close links to the airline.

Drug use among pilots at the privately owned airline returned to the spotlight last weekend with the arrest of a pilot in Surabaya suspected of using drugs.

There have been concerns that the police might be conflicted in their handling of the case because of a memorandum of understanding signed with Lion Air in March last year that requires the airline to provide transportation for officers within four hours of a request from police command.

But the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) dismissed worries the agreement would influence the investigation.

“We will not tolerate drug use, especially among pilots,” BNN spokesman Sr. Comr. Sumirat Dwiyanto said. “We will arrest our own members, let alone members of other institutions we have an MoU with.”

National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo said at the time the deal was signed that Lion’s help was crucial because the police did not have enough transportation vehicles.

Links between the airline and the force go even deeper: Lion Air commissioner Yusuf Manggabarani is a former National Police deputy chief.

Also on Monday, the Transportation Ministry announced it had withdrawn the flying licenses of four Lion Air pilots who had tested positive for drugs.

These are the pilot arrested last weekend and three others caught earlier in Tangerang, Banten and Makassar.

Meanwhile, passengers at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport said on Monday that they would continue to fly with Lion Air despite the drug revelations.

“We can’t tolerate the use of drugs among pilots because it puts passengers’ lives in danger. I believe only a small number of pilots use drugs,” said Iwan Sumaryo, who was waiting to fly with Lion Air.

Another passenger, Hakim Al-Khon, also expressed his displeasure with pilots using drugs. “I am worried, but in regard to my safety, I just leave it to God,” said Hakim, who was about to fly to Surabaya with Lion.

Lion Air director Edward Sirait said the airline would stick to the presumption of innocence in handling the pilots accused of using drugs. “But we will fire an employee if he or she is absent from work five days in a row,” he said.

Pilots from the airline defended themselves, saying only a small number used drugs.

“We don’t know who is using drugs among us. But I bet 99 percent of us are very responsible when on duty,” said a Lion Air pilot at Soekarno-Hatta who did not wish to be named.

Police in Surabaya arrested the Lion Air pilot, identified as 44-year-old Syaiful Salam, during a predawn raid at a hotel in the East Java capital on Saturday. The pilot, who was caught with 0.4 grams of methamphetamine and a meth pipe, was scheduled to go on duty at 6 a.m.

Additional reporting from Investor Daily, Antara