Nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine seized in record drug bust on cargo ship off Canary Islands

The ship was towed the rest of the way to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where it was subsequently detained.

The GEO operators discovered around 9,994 kg of cocaine in 294 bales hidden underneath the ship's cargo of salt as well as a firearm of undisclosed calibre. The vessel's 13 crewmembers have also been placed under arrest.

The raid was executed with the aid of intelligence supplied by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the UK National Crime Agency, and law enforcement agencies in France, Portugal and Brazil.

According to Spanish local media, Sunday's operation was one of the largest ever cocaine seizures in Europe.