KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police have identified two Filipinos, including a former pilot, believed to be involved in an international drug trafficking syndicate linked to the seizure of more than half a tonne of methamphetamine aboard a private jet in Laos.

Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said investigations revealed that the former pilot had chartered the aircraft through a Malaysian broker, while other suspect, a woman, was believed to have acted as the syndicate's coordinator.

The former pilot, 54, has a drug-related criminal record, while the woman is 51.

Hussein said the latest findings followed investigations into the seizure at Luang Prabang International Airport in Laos, which also led to the detention of a Malaysian pilot.