Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysian marine police foiled an attempt by a local syndicate to smuggle refugees to Australia using the Straits of Malacca, a news report said Sunday.

Following a tip, a marine police patrol intercepted a wooden boat carrying the migrants to a transit point in Tanjung Balai, Indonesia, the Star daily reported.

Among those detained were 17 Iraqi men, two Indonesian women and a 9-month old baby, the report said.

Two boat navigators and their crew, believed to be Malaysian, were also arrested during the operation.

"We believe the foreigners were being taken to Australia from Indonesia," central region district marine chief Marzuki Ismail said.

He added that the Iraqis had arrived in Malaysia between June 2-6 on tourist passes, while the Indonesians did not have any travel documents.

The syndicate was believed to have been in operation since early 2009 and charged about 4,000 ringgit (1,300 dollars) per head, Marzuki said. (dpa)