Three Malaysians have been charged with smuggling ketamine into China and could face the death penalty if convicted, state media reported today.

Almost seven kilograms of the drug was seized in January at the Luohu checkpoint separating Hong Kong from mainland China in the biggest customs haul of ketamine so far this year, the China Daily said.

The drugs were reportedly wrapped in silver foil and labelled as health products. The man carrying the bag fled when customs officials searched his bag, the report said.

He was arrested in March attempting to use a false passport to enter China via Zhuhai city.

Two accomplices were arrested in Shenzhen on the same day, the paper said.

The Shenzhen Intermediate Court, which tries cases involving foreigners, told AFP it had not received their case yet and was not aware of a trial date.

China regularly sentences drug smugglers to death.

Cheng Zhihong, a customs official, was quoted as saying a growing number of foreigners, especially from Southeast Asia, have been found smuggling drugs into China to supply a growing demand.

Ketamine, originally created for use as an anaesthetic, usually comes in liquid form in small bottles. It is popular among nightclubbers as a recreational drug for its narcotic effects.