MADRID, January 12. /TASS/. The Spanish National Police seized the largest shipment of cocaine in the department’s history during an operation on the high seas, a press release from the kingdom’s law enforcement agencies reported.

According to the report, authorities intercepted a vessel in the Atlantic Ocean carrying nearly 10 tons of cocaine concealed in a shipment of salt. Police detained 13 individuals and confiscated firearms. The operation was conducted in cooperation with the authorities of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

The vessel was headed from Brazil to Europe. The Spanish prosecutor’s office launched the investigation to crack down on a multinational group suspected of smuggling large quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe.