HANOI – Officials in Vietnam have arrested an Australian woman for allegedly trafficking heroin, the country’s state media reported.

According to Thanh Nien News, the 37-year old woman of Vietnamese origin was detained on Sunday at Tan Son Nhat airport in the southern hub of Ho Chi Minh City after allegedly attempting to board a flight to Australia with nearly 5 kilograms of heroin hidden in her luggage.

The woman, whose name has not been revealed, reportedly told authorities she would be paid $US25,000 ($A33,500) to transport the heroin to Australia.

Last month, a 73-year-old Vietnam-born Australian woman was sentenced to death for trying to smuggle 2.8 kilograms of heroin from Vietnam to Australia.

Vietnam has some of the world’s toughest drug laws. Anyone caught with more than 600 grams of heroin faces the death penalty.

– TiVi Tuan-san