Three men who were attempting to smuggle out drugs worth about RM10 million were detained at the KL International Airport (KLIA), Sepang last night.

According to police sources, two Malaysians and a Singaporean who were believed to be members of an international drug syndicate, were arrested at about midnight as soon as they entered the departure hall of the main terminal building, KLIA.

The men, who were in their 20's and 30's, were scheduled to take a flight to the Philippines and were believed to have links with several drug mules in Iran who were detained during the past two months.

The sources said following inspection on the baggages they were carrying, police found 40 kilograms of high grade syabu, with a current market value of about RM10 million (RM250,000 per kilogram).

It was learnt that the arrest was made by a police team from the Cheras district police headquarters who had been monitoring the movements of the suspects from the city centre, and assisted by intelligence from the Bukit Aman narcotics crime investigation department.

"The case this time is different because the drugs were being taken out of the country to a neighbouring country.

"We do not rule out the possibility that they have links with several drug mules in Iran who had been detained earlier, including seven Iranian nationals at the KLIA recently when they tried to smuggle in the drugs.

"This is because the quality of the syabu showed that they certainly have contacts as the drugs could only be obtained in Iran," the sources said.

According to the sources, what was surprising was that when the two bags were seized, there were no signs to show that the drugs were hidden together with the clothes or other items as in the other cases, but the bags only contained the drugs.

The sources said police were interrogating the suspects to identify the mastermind behind the syndicate, including from where the drugs had been obtained, their distribution network abroad and their modus operandi.

"The investigation will also consider the possibility of an inside man in the KLIA being involved as the drug smugglers could easily pass through the security inspection before being detained by police.

"The extraordinary boldness of the three syndicate members, two of whom were locals, also raised a poser, as though someone was giving his 'blessing' or assisting them," the sources said.

They said that most of the drug smuggling attempts, especially those involving the KLIA previously, were foiled by police based on intelligence information and surveillance, with most of the arrests being done at the arrival hall, baggage counter, the lobby and the taxi waiting area.

The sources said that within a period of less than two months this year, 41 Iranian drug mules had been detained at the KLIA after they had all passed through inspection and the airport's scanning machine.

According to the sources, all the suspects were detained under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act which carries the death sentence upon conviction.

- Bernama