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Police seize record haul of cocaine 'disguised as coal'

A record 6.5 tonnes of cocaine has been seized by police in Peru who believe drugs traffickers were trying to bring the load into Europe disguised as coal.

Seven Peruvians and two Mexicans were arrested by officers after a raid at a warehouse in Huanchaco, near the city of Trujillo.

Bricks of cocaine were glued to the inside of blocks of coal Credit: Reuters

The Class A drugs were packed into brick-sized packets and glued inside of large chunks of coal.

President of Peru Ollanta Humala welcomed the seizure as a major step forward in tackling drug crime in the country, considered by the US and the UN to be the world's top cocaine producer.

This is, without doubt, the most important blow to drug trafficking in the history of the republic.

– President of Peru Ollanta Humala