NILAI, MALAYSIA - It was more than pickled cucumbers an Iranian had on him when he flew into the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Friday afternoon.

Alert Customs officers nabbed the Iranian with 23kg of syabu worth RM5.7 million that he had packed in five large cans of pickled cucumber.

The cool Iranian, who arrived from Dubai, was stopped at 3.40pm when he tried to clear Customs by using the "nothing-to-declare" green lane.

Customs assistant director-general (enforcement) Datuk Md Hassim Pardi said the man was told to run his two bags through the scanners and asked to open the bags for inspection.

"We found clothes in one bag while the other one had cans of pickled cucumbers. We found a clear substance in the cans believed to be syabu."

This was the fourth time the Iranian, 26, had entered the country using a tourist visa.

Customs officers earlier foiled another attempt to import drugs at KLIA on Friday.

An Indian citizen had tried to smuggle about 4kg of ketamine worth RM72,000 at about 1.50pm.

Customs officers found ketamine in five plastic packages wrapped in carbon paper hidden inside five sarees in the bag of the 55-year-old man who had flown in from Colombo.

This was his fourth visit to the country.

Both men have been remanded for seven days to assist in investigations and face charges under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

"We urge those with information to call the Customs hotline at 1-800-88-8855 or its narcotics department at 06-7917587/ 7792," said Hashim.