Italian police say they have seized a tonne of pure cocaine, hidden inside four tractors shipped from Brazil. They said the haul – with an estimated street value of up to 250m euros (£212m; $341m) – was their biggest in 15 years. They made the discovery with the help of Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency. Police think the drugs were destined for central and northern Europe as well as Italy.
Salvatore Cagnazzo, the commander in charge of the investigation, told AFP news agency the cocaine was found inside the tractors in a container which was unloaded in the port of Gioia Tauro in southern Italy. When they put the agricultural machinery through the scanners, he said, they discovered the drugs stashed in the metal tubes. No arrests have been made. – BBC
