The three gold bars found

KUALA LUMPUR: An Indian budget airline flight from Singapore carrying 145 people was forced to make an emergency landing at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 7.30am Thursday, after a crew member found a package in the plane's toilet.

However, a Fire and Rescue team, which inspected the package after the IndiGo aircraft landed, found that it contained just three gold bars, weighing less than 1kg.

Selangor Fire and Rescue operations assistant director Mohd Sani Harul confirmed this and the airline made the decision to land due to safety concerns.

He said the crew suspected the package contained chemicals.

The plane took off from Singapore and was bound for Chennai.

Upon landing here, the passengers were evacuated while a team of Fire and Rescue officers dressed in hazmat suits were sent in to inspect the toilet.

"It was not chemicals. It was bars of gold stashed inside paper wrappings. It was a very weird find.

"We don't know where it came from or who brought it onboard. Police are questioning the passengers now," Mohd Sani told The Star.

Sepang acting OCPD Deputy Supt Zaldino Zaludin said police had suspected a bomb initially, and were now trying to establish who owned the gold bars.