KUALA LUMPUR: Police foiled three attempts to smuggle in drugs into the country with the seizure of RM5.7 million worth of drugs and the arrest of a suspect in separate checks at several airports, since Saturday.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said in two of the cases, checks revealed the drugs were smuggled in by an African syndicate from Abuja, Nigeria.

"On Saturday night, police had intercepted the attempt to smuggle two luggage which uses one airway bill...One of the parcels contains several pairs of jeans while checks on another bag with the same bill revealed 20.2kg of syabu," he told reporters at the Federal Police Headquarters in Bukit Aman.

On Sunday, police arrested a 44-year-old Indian national who had just arrived from Chennai, India for having 5.4kg of ephedrine.

Noor Rashid said the drugs were hidden in a secret compartment in his luggage.

He said the following day, police foiled another attempt to smuggle in a box containing 23kg of syabu at Cargo complex Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Sepang. The parcels were sent from Abuja, Nigeria.

"We do not rule out the possibility that the first and third case involves insider's job and we believe that the parcels were sent by the same syndicate," he told reporters.

Noor Rashid said the drugs were believed to be meant for local market.