GEORGE TOWN: Everyone knows that chocolates can be addictive but those brought in by one Ukrainian woman at the Penang International Airport are more addictive than usual.

They contain 2.1kg of cocaine that police believed had been stuffed earlier in her anus.

The 22-year-old woman was detained by police who spotted her acting suspiciously when she arrived at the airport at about 11am on Thursday.

Penang Narcotics Chief Supt Guan Beng Kang said the airport police was alerted by the woman’s body language.

“We arrested her when she came out from the toilet and recovered 108 capsules of cocaine in four chocolate tin boxes placed in two plastic bags for duty-free items.

“The drugs were wrapped in colourful paper to make them look like chocolates.

“She also put in some real chocolates in the boxes to deceive the officers,” Supt Guan told reporters at the police headquarters yesterday.

Initial investigation, he said, showed that the woman departed from Ukraine on Wednesday and transited in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur before touching down in Penang.

“She cleared immigration in Kuala Lumpur before taking a domestic flight to Penang. It was her first visit to Malaysia via a tourist visa.

“Although we recovered the drugs in the boxes, we believed that these were once concealed in her anus based on the stench,” he added.

Supt Guan said the drugs, worth about RM500,000, were believed to be for the local market.

“We are still trying to get more details from her but we faced some language difficulties as she could only speak a little English and was quite emotional when we confronted her,” he added.

He said the woman, who tested positive for amphetamine abuse, would be remanded until Jan 7.

The case is being investigated under Section 39B(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act which carries the mandatory death penalty.