Greek police seized 271.15 kilograms of drugs, confirmed to be cocaine valued at more than €5.5 million, and arrested three men in connection with the shipment, according to local authorities on Sunday.

The cocaine was concealed in a container of bananas imported from Ecuador and destined for the northern port of Thessaloniki, according to police.

The UK’s National Crime Agency had alerted Greek authorities about the shipment. Police intercepted the container before it was loaded onto a truck and recovered most of the drugs, packaged in brick-sized parcels.

The truck proceeded to Aspropyrgos, a suburb of Athens more than 500 kilometres south, where officers arrested three men as they opened the container on Saturday.

The suspects include two Greek nationals, one a 40-year-old haulage company owner, and two Bulgarian citizens aged 32 and 47. Police said the 47-year-old Bulgarian organised collection and transport, while the 32-year-old managed distribution through an unnamed gang.

Authorities are seeking additional members of the drug trafficking network. The three arrested will face prosecutors on Monday (11 August).

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