The western Sydney woman facing a possible death-by-firing squad sentence in China is the daughter of a decorated former policeman who was involved in an infamous 1994 car crash that killed a senior colleague.

Penrith woman Kalynda Davis, 22, was arrested on November 8 in Guangzhou allegedly trying to smuggle 75kg of methamphetamine, the drug known as "ice", out of the country — an event friends describe as being completely out of character.

She was arrested alongside Peter Gardner, a 25-year-old man from Richmond in Sydney's northwest.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials in China and Ms Davis' parents burrowed down on Friday in the hopes of minimising public attention surrounding the case.

Ms Davis is facing a death-by-firing squad sentence in China for allegedly trying to smuggle 75kg of 'ice' to Australia. (Supplied) (supplied)

Her father, Larry Davis, is a former policeman who was involved in an infamous car crash in Penrith on December 8, 1994 that killed Inspector Noel Thompson — Mr Davis' father-in-law, the Daily Telegraph reports.

League legend and Penrith Panthers player Brad Izzard was drunk behind the wheel of the car carrying the two policemen along with publican Steve Speed after they attended a charity golf event.

Izzard was sentenced to nine months jail.

Mr Davis — now a banker with ANZ — did not want to comment on his daughter's plight.

His wife Jennifer told the newspaper: "I don't want to comment… I'll just leave it at that."

Friends of the 22-year-old from Glenmore Park said they were "devastated" about the shocking turn of events that led to Ms Davis' arrest, describing them as "so very out of character".

One friend suggested online Ms Davis only knew Mr Gardner for a short time and she had "got caught up with the wrong guy".

A former Christian school student, Ms Davis played rep basketball for the Penrith Panthers and described the sport as "my life".

A NSW police spokesman said Ms Davis was reported missing on November 5.