Malaysian airports to monitor passengers from Dubai, India, Iran, and the Netherlands

MALAYSIAN police said on Thursday they fear a new syndicate is using the country as a transit point, after arresting seven more Iranians for drug-smuggling.

The arrests bring to 41 the number of Iranians detained in the last two months for similar drug offences, central Selangor state police chief Khalid Abu Bakar told AFP.

'With so many of these drug couriers coming from Iran in the last two months, there is a very strong possibility that this is a new Iranian syndicate that is trying to use Malaysia as a transit point,' he said.

'We are carrying out further investigations and will continue to be tough on these couriers as we don't want Malaysia to be used as a manufacture, transit or distribution base by any drug syndicate.' Mr Khalid said two Iranian men and a woman were picked up at Kuala Lumpur's international Airport Monday for smuggling methamphetamines. Later that day police detained another Iranian with more drugs at a downtown condominium.

Mr Khalid said the remaining three were arrested at the airport on Tuesday for attempted drug smuggling, with the total value of methamphetamines seized in the incidents exceeding RM3.8 million (S$1.57 million). 'We found that most of these Iranians came in as tourists and a large portion of the drugs were meant for other markets, but we cannot discount that some of it was for distribution in Malaysia,' he said.

The arrests follow a weekend bust of three Iranians at the capital's airport, allegedly with RM13.6 million worth of methamphetamines. Mr Khalid said nationwide enforcement has been beefed up at Malaysian airports to monitor passengers from Dubai, India, Iran, and the Netherlands.