The police in Italy and international investigators have struck a blow against drug trafficking in Europe.
In the port city of Trieste, 4.3 tons of cocaine were confiscated during a raid, the Italian financial police said on Tuesday.
According to the information, the cocaine had a street value of at least 240 million euros.
This was one of the largest cocaine finds in history in Europe.
According to the announcement, 38 people were arrested in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Colombia.
The Guardia di Finanza announced that the case had been investigated for more than a year, including in cooperation with the authorities in Colombia and the US agency Homeland Security Investigations.
In Italy, the operation was coordinated by the Anti-Mafia Directorate of the Interior Ministry.
Officials were also deployed to infiltrate the dealer chain.
More than 60 police officers were involved in the raids on Tuesday.
Those arrested are accused of international drug trafficking.
The 4.3 tons of cocaine are among the largest amounts ever seized by police in Europe.
In February 2021, German customs in Hamburg intercepted more than 16 tons of cocaine.