Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian airport authorities arrested an Iranian police officer and two athletes accused of trying to smuggle drugs worth nearly 1 million ringgit ($300,000) in their luggage, news reports said Sunday.
The men arrived on an Iran Air flight Saturday with 9 pounds (4 kilogrammes) of methamphetamine hidden within the metal handles of their suitcases, Abdul Razak Zin, a state anti-narcotics police official, was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama, and The Star newspaper.
The suspects - identified as a 36-year-old police officer, a volleyball player and a martial arts sportsman - face a mandatory penalty of death by hanging if found guilty of drug trafficking.
No other details of their identities were revealed, and officials familiar with the arrests could not immediately be contacted Sunday.
Security officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport noticed the men behaving suspiciously during a routine check on arriving travelers, Abdul Razak was quoted as saying. They had been scheduled to stay in Malaysia for three days but provided no specific reason.
Malaysian authorities have stepped up surveillance on Iranian travelers following a spike in drug trafficking cases.
More than 40 Iranians have been arrested for smuggling attempts since January, partly because the demand for illegal methamphetamine has risen in this Southeast Asian country.
