Hong Kong  - An 18-kilogram haul of heroin smuggled from central Asia via Manila has been seized at Hong Kong's international airport, customs officials said Friday.

Four African men and four Filipino women were arrested in connection with the seizure, which had a street value of almost 1.3 million US dollars.

The women were alleged to have used hidden compartments in their luggage to smuggle the heroin while the men were accused of strapping the drug to their bodies.

It was the first time customs officers in Hong Kong had seized heroin that had been smuggled from what is known as the "Golden Crescent" drug-production region via the Philippines.

The Golden Crescent is a mountainous poppy-growing area at the crossroads of Central, South and western Asia, straddling the borders of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. (dpa)