Biggest cocaine haul in 25 years seized by Italian police

The shipment was held in Genoa after arriving from South America hidden in a container with no declared cargo, police say.

The haul was 2.1 tons of cocaine
Image: The haul found in Genoa was 2.1 tons of cocaine
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Police in Italy have seized about 2.5 tonnes of cocaine in two shipments - which add up to the largest drug haul found in the country in 25 years.

On Thursday, police seized 1.9 tonnes of the drug in the north Italian port of Genoa, while 644kg (1,420 pounds) had been found earlier this month in nearby Livorno.

The drugs were hidden in large duffle bags
Image: The drugs were hidden in large duffle bags

The larger shipment arrived from South America hidden in duffle bags in a container with no declared cargo, and was heading for Barcelona, police said.

Officers intercepted the cocaine, replaced it with salt and sent the ship on to Spain as planned, Colonel Maurizio Cintura of the Italian finance police said.

Police re-filled the duffle bags with salt before sending them on
Image: Police re-filled the duffle bags with salt before sending them on

A 59-year-old man was arrested when he arrived in Barcelona to collect it.

The Colombian Navy was also involved in the operation.

Police said it had a street value of around €500m (£438m).

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The haul had an estimated street value of €130m (£113m)
Image: The smaller haul was seized in mid-January

"The drugs belonged to several drug-trafficking organisations associated with the armed group known as the 'Gulf Clan,'" a police statement said in reference to Colombia's notorious drug cartel.

The finance police also said they had previously seized 644km of cocaine, worth some €130m (£113m). The haul, concealed in a container transporting coffee that had just arrived from Spain, was found on 15 January in Livorno.

The smaller haul was concealed in a container transporting coffee that  arrived from Spain
Image: 644kg was concealed in a container transporting coffee that arrived from Spain

The coffee arrived in Italy on a Portuguese cargo ship carrying thousands of containers from the Spanish port of Algeciras and was heading for a Madrid-based company in the port of Barcelona.

Taken together, the two hauls are the largest drug haul in Italy in the past 25 years, authorities said.

The shipment left from Honduras and was transferred to another cargo ship in Costa Rica before crossing the Atlantic, police said.