New Delhi, Aug. 7 -- Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, said on Friday (local time) that it has ordered mandatory drug testing and stricter screening for all pilots across its airlines.

The development comes after a Malaysia Airlines pilot was arrested for allegedly transporting large quantities of drugs to Indonesia last month, Reuters reported.

In a statement released today, MAG said the first phase of mandatory drug screening has commenced, beginning with the airline's 1,260 pilots, with the screening to be completed by August 15. It further said, "Pilots who do not complete the screening by the stipulated date will not operate flights until they have been cleared in accordance with MAG's procedur...