German officials seize €1billion of cocaine in record-breaking haul

German officials have seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine. Credit: Hauptzollamt Hamburg/ EVN

German officials have seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine, worth an estimated street value of nearly €1 billion (£915,331,500).

The huge haul was found during a routine check of a shipping container in the port city of Hamburg, in northern Germany.

More than 4,200 packages in 211 sports bags were discovered on the freight container which claimed to be full of soya beans. Credit: Hauptzollamt Hamburg/ EVN

It is the largest ever cocaine shipment seized by German customs.

More than 4,200 packages in 211 sports bags were discovered on the freight container which claimed to be full of soya beans.

The shipment was transported from Montevideo in Uruguay, via Hamburg, to Antwerp, Belgium. Credit: Hauptzollamt Hamburg/ EVN

The shipment was transported from Montevideo in Uruguay, via Hamburg, to Antwerp, Belgium.

The cocaine haul has already been destroyed. Credit: Hauptzollamt Hamburg/ EVN

The cocaine, which was discovered in late July, has been already destroyed at a high-security secret location.