Malaysia Airlines has pledged to cooperate with Australian authorities investigating an attempt to smuggle three million ecstasy pills into Australia aboard one of its cargo planes, officials said today.

Australian Customs and Federal Police said on Sunday they had intercepted the country's largest shipment of the party drug ecstasy, totalling 820 kilograms, hidden in compartments of a bakery oven that was shipped from Poland to Australia via Germany on a Malaysian Airlines flight.

Two Australian men aged 54 and 32 have appeared in a Sydney court over the Oct 15 drugs haul.

Random checks

Malaysia Airlines senior corporate affairs manager for cargo Rosli Mohamad Yasin said the airline would obtain details of the shipment and the forwarding agent.

"When it comes to international air cargo we can only make random checks on cargo, although it is not normal industry practice. We do spot checks on certain shipments," he said, adding the carrier fully complied with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations.

An X-ray in Australia spotted packages hidden in the wall and base cavities of the oven and an inspection revealed 62 boxes containing about 115 kilograms of powder and about three million tablets weighing 705 kilograms.

Australian police said the find had disrupted "a very sophisticated and significant drug trafficking network".