Police have detained three men, suspected to be members of an international syndicate, involved in the robbery of over 700,000 condoms worth about RM850,000 from a container that was shipped to Tokyo, Japan, last month.

Perak police chief Shukri Dahlan said the suspects, aged between 29 and 30, workers of a condom factory in Batu Gajah, about 20 kilometres from Ipoh, were detained yesterday at Ipoh, Klang and the North-South Expressway.

The men will be remanded until Saturday and police hope to nab several others soon based on information obtained, he said at a news conference at the Perak police headquarters today.

He said they believed the activity was carried out by several others who were part of a bigger syndicate that may also involve a foreign network.

The missing condoms were realised when the condom-laden container sent from Port Klang to Tokyo on Jan 6, was found empty upon arrival in Tokyo on Jan 25, he said.

The goods were produced in two factories, Sagami Manufacturers Sdn Bhd in the Bemban industrial park, Batu Gajah, and the Jelapang industrial park, Ipoh.

He said the incident was reported at the Pusing police station in Batu Gajah on Jan 25, and at the Ipoh police station, a day later.

"Based on reports, the container lorry left the factory in Batu Gajah on Jan 6, and stopped at the Jelapang factory before heading to Port Klang, where it was stored for several days before shipment to Japan," he added.

- Bernama