A 70-year-old Dutch national has been caught at Wattay airport in Laos carrying almost six kilos of heroin, local media reported at the weekend.

The drugs, hidden in foil-covered blankets and placed in two suitcases, were discovered during a routine control on Thursday.

Laos is clamping down on international drug smuggling. Earlier arrests included two Malaysian citizens who had tried to transport 86 kilos of marijuana into Germany, and a Bulgarian who had hidden 14 kilos of heroin in animal feed and coffee.

Another 28.5 kilos of heroin were discovered in the bags of a passenger from an undisclosed country in Africa, bringing the total of drugs seized by Lao customs officials to 134 kilos since the clampdown began last month.

The Dutchman may face life in prison in a country known for its brutal prison regime, the Telegraaf said.