KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Police yesterday rubbished claims by Indian authorities that drug lords were using Malaysia as a transit point to distribute heroin to the international market.

Narcotics Department director Datuk Zul Hasnan Najib Baharudin said the claim by the New Delhi Customs Department was "baseless".

"We do not give room to drug smugglers as our intelligence unit always updates us on drug syndicates. We will also know about (the activities of) drug smugglers in other countries.

"The arrest in New Delhi was a rare case. Security at our airports is good.

"The New Delhi senior Customs officer should have checked with other agencies, such as Interpol, before making this statement.

"Nevertheless, we will refer the matter to New Delhi Customs and Interpol for further clarification," he said.

A senior officer from the New Dehli Customs had been quoted as saying that Kuala Lumpur was being used as a transit point to distribute heroin in Southeast Asia.

He was commenting on last week's arrest of a 26-year-old Thai woman who was about to board a Malaysia-bound flight with 2.48kg heroin worth RM2.5 million hidden in her suitcase at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The arrest came weeks after New Delhi Customs arrested a 42-year-old Filipino who was heading towards Kuala Lumpur with 70 heroin capsules worth RM800,000 in his stomach.

Zulhasnan said Malaysia's stringent laws against drug trafficking was a deterrent.

He said the success in crippling the biggest drug trafficking syndicate in Johor Baru recently was a good example that the department was rooting out the drug network.

In the operation, police seized drugs worth about RM48 million, RM1.09 million in proceeds from the sale of drugs and six cars.

They also arrested 12 suspected syndicate members, including three foreigners. -- Bernama