The senior assistant director of Health Ministry's International Safety Division, Dr Mahyin Abdul Halim, said tests showed the fruits contained ethion, a highly toxic pesticide.

More than half of 50 consignments of oranges which entered Malaysia last year were found to contain the pesticide, Dr Mahyin said after a border co-operation agencies' information meeting between Malaysian and Thai departments and agencies here.

Ethion, an organic phos- phate pesticide used to kill, among others, mites, maggots and leafhoppers, is banned in Malaysia.

NST