KUALA LUMPUR: A local woman who was given an all-expense-paid trip to Spain by three foreigners was rescued by police just hours before she was to board her flight.

Police believe that the woman, in her 20s, had been duped by the three foreigners into carrying drugs -- which could have seen her joining the growing list of drug mules being held in foreign jails.

The raid at a condominium unit in Damansara Damai on Thursday afternoon also led to the arrest of the three foreigners, believed to be Africans.

Federal Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department de-puty director Datuk Othman Harun said police moved in after receiving a tip off, believed to be from relatives of the woman.

They found the woman and the three Africans, between the ages of 24 and 31, in the flat. However, no drugs were found.

Othman said the woman was supposed to board a flight for Spain later that night.

"We believe the syndicate was going to use the woman to carry drugs to Spain and other European countries.

"The syndicate paid for her passport, the flight ticket and gave her pocket money for her 'vacation'," said Othman.

Police believed the three men were part of an international syndicate preying on local women to become drug mules.

"Two of the suspects are here on student passes, but we believe they are here to recruit drug mules," he said.

Police believe this syndicate was also responsible for hiring other women who are now languishing in foreign jails.

He said the suspects are being detained under the Dangerous Drugs Act .

Investigations revealed that the syndicate members duped their victims by befriending them and later offering them well-paying jobs overseas.

Othman said there were also local women who knew what they were getting into, but decided to take the risk due to the large amount of money offered.

He said between February and May this year, police arrested 10 African men for drug-related offences, including recruiting drug mules.

"They were nabbed by a special squad which was formed to investigate syndicates hiring locals as drug mules."

Meanwhile, Bernama reports that Chennai Customs crippled another female drug network after arresting a Filipino woman trying to smuggle 2kg of heroin worth RM1.5 million to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday night.

She was the third woman to be detained at major Indian airports in the past month for attempting to smuggle out heroin for buyers in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

The suspect was nabbed by the Customs Air Intelligence Unit just before she boarded a Malaysia Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur.

"While the search on her body and handbag did not yield anything incriminating, the red colour suitcase carried as check-in luggage aroused suspicion as the bottom portion was unusually bulging.

"We suspected concealment of contraband," Joint Commissioner of Customs (Airport) K. Engineer told Bernama.

An examination of the suitcase revealed a brown colour packet containing heroin taped to the bottom of the suitcase, he said.

"The passenger in her statement admitted she was aware of the heroin in her suitcase and added that another Filipino in New Delhi gave her the consignment.

"We believe the same syndicate is operating from New Delhi as in the previous arrest, the Filipino woman also received the drugs from New Delhi," he said.

The suspect, a receptionist working in a hotel in Bangkok, arrived in Mumbai two days ago and later flew to New Delhi where she is believed to have collected the heroin.

On May 11, a Thai sex worker, Pincahao Khronvipa alias Pinkae, 34, was detained at Hyderabad Airport trying to sneak out 2.2kg heroin worth nearly RM2 million.

Three days later, Chennai Customs detained a 27-year-old KL-bound Filipino, with 1kg of heroin worth RM1 million.