Australian grandmother sentenced to death in Malaysia after officials find 1.5kg of crystal meth in her luggage

An Australian grandmother accused of drug trafficking in Malaysia was sentenced to death after officials found 1.5kg of crystal meth in her bag.

Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto was originally let go by the High Court last December on grounds that she did not know the drugs were in her bag when she was arrested in December 2014.

Exposto, 54, had arrived from Shanghai and was planning to catch a connecting flight to Melbourne when she was detained in Malaysia.

The drugs were discovered when she put two bags through the security scanner when exiting the airport.

Exposto had said she went to Shanghai to meet a US serviceman with whom she had an online romance, and had been asked to carry a bag full of clothes.

She insisted she was unaware that the bag also contained drugs.

Exposto's lawyer, Tania Scivetti, said a three-member appeals court "found there was merit" in the prosecution's appeal, though it didn't say on what grounds. She said Exposto was shocked but calm.

"It's disappointing as there was clear evidence that she was the victim of an Internet romance scam. She was a drug mule."

Malaysia has a mandatory death sentence for anyone found guilty of carrying more than 50 grams of a prohibited drug.

After her acquittal in December, Scivetti said Exposto was immediately arrested by immigration officials as her visa has expired. Following the prosecution's appeal, she remained in custody because she couldn't afford to pay bail.

Australian Foreign Minister Julia Bishop said her government was aware of Exposto's right to appeal.

"Australia opposes the death penalty in all circumstances for all people," Bishop said in a statement.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries chilled for years after Malaysia hanged two Australians in 1986 for heroin trafficking, a move that then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke denounced as a "barbaric act."

Despite the backlash, Malaysia hanged another Australian heroin smuggler in 1993. Australia responded with a statement expressing the government's deep regret and sadness.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press