A Malaysian woman was 'dressed to kill' when she arrived at the Perth International Airport on Tuesday.

While the 29-year-old's feminine charms might not have caused the men to skip a heart beat, the airport authorities viewed her in a different perspective.

Upon examining the woman's baggage, the Customs and Border Protection officers smelled a rat.

The investigators stumbled on 28 dresses on which were sewn a total of 574 buttons.

White powder in buttons

As it turned out, the clothes concealed a crime.

"One of the buttons was de-constructed and a white powder was revealed. Predictive testing of the powder indicated the presence of heroin," the Customs Department said in a statement.

According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) initial investigations, about 500 grams of heroin were found concealed inside the 574 buttons.

The woman is suspected to be a 'drug mule' on the payroll of an international drug syndicate.

She has been charged with importing a marketable quantity of a border-controlled drug.

She faces a maximum penalty for drug importation of 25 years imprisonment and/or a A$550,000 (A$1 = RM3.13) fine. - Bernama