Malaysian airport officers seized a record 32.46 kilogrammes of drugs worth RM7 million (US$2.3 million) in the last six days, news reports said today.

The drugs were seized in several searches, customs director Govinden Mutosamy was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper.

He said customs officers arrested four people and seized 14.25 kilograms of drugs on the weekend.

Police have arrested more than 600 foreigners for alleged drug smuggling this year, nearly double the number during the same period last year.

More than RM30 million (US$10 million) worth of drugs were seized at KL International Airport through September, police said.

Iranians and Nigerians topped the list of arrests, followed by suspects from Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and others.

Despite the country’s strict drug laws that prescribe the mandatory death sentence for trafficking, Malaysia continues to attract international drug syndicates as a transit point to channel the drugs to neighbouring South-East Asian nations.

- dpa