BANGKOK - A 35-year-old Malaysian man was arrested at Bangkok International Airport today while trying to smuggle heroin out of Thailand, Thai customs officials said.

Yap Fuh Yi was arrested as he was about to board a Thai Airways International flight to the Australian city of Melbourne with 1.8 kilograms of heroin wrapped in plastic and then strapped to his legs, officials said in a statement.

The drug would be worth RM125,000 (US$32,941) on the streets of Bangkok, but could fetch RM7.2 million (US$1.9 million)in overseas markets, the statement said.

Thai Airways officials confirmed that the suspect was booked on a return flight on June 13 from Melbourne.

Yap Fuh Yi was charged with possession of an illegal drug and smuggling with the intention of trafficking, officials said.

Under Thai law, the maximum sentence for people caught with more than 20 grams of pure-grade heroin is the death penalty.

There are 3,739 foreign prisoners in Thai prisons jailed on drug offences, according to corrections officials.