Spanish police and customs authorities announced the seizure of about 720 kilograms of cocaine imported from Costa Rica.

The Spanish police explained in a statement that the authorities “seized 720 kilograms of cocaine inside a container that arrived at the port of Malaga at the end of September, originating from Costa Rica.”

The joint task force, which comprised the Spanish Police, Civil Guard, and the Customs Surveillance of the Spanish Tax Agency, discovered the drugs meticulously packed in 1.2-kilogram rectangular parcels.

The drugs were hidden in a large aluminum sarcophagus inside the container and among more than 19 tons of scrap metal, authorities said. Eight people were arrested in connection to the drug bust, but their identities were not revealed to the public.

Sources indicated that several individuals taken into custody have previously been associated with organized crime and drug trafficking.

Two of them had already been arrested and convicted for similar events in the port of Algeciras in 2018, as the Spanish police reports.

The investigations began after investigators learned of the existence of an organization based in Campo de Gibraltar that would be introducing large quantities of cocaine hidden in scrap metal. The acting forces subjected the organization to close surveillance over several months.

The study and analysis of the actions focused on an exporting company in Costa Rica that had been the subject of investigation in previous years for its links to cocaine trafficking through containers.

When it was learned by the authorities the arrival of new containers at the port of Malaga at the end of September, investigations indicated that narcotic substances could be hidden in some of them. As a result, the agents carried out a complete monitoring.

The discovery in Malaga is a stark reminder of the relentless ingenuity of international drug cartels and the monumental task facing authorities worldwide in their fight against this trade.