(CNN) Cocaine disguised as charcoal with a potential street value of up to 35 million euros ($41.4 million) has been seized in a joint operation between Irish and Dutch authorities.

The drugs were found inside two shipping containers from South America that arrived at the port of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, as part of what Irish investigators believe was an attempt to import up to half a ton of cocaine to Ireland, according to a press release from the Garda Síochána, Ireland’s national police and security service, published Wednesday.

Inside the containers were 2,000 bags of charcoal. Thanks to the use of an X-ray scanner and police sniffer dogs, some of the bags were found to contain cocaine.

Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) later confirmed that cocaine was present, but “it will take a number of days and perhaps longer for FSI to extract the cocaine from the product within which it is concealed,” reads the press release.

If the full shipment of cocaine has been discovered it could have a street value of up to 35 million euros ($41.5 million), police said.

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US Coast Guard in Massive Coke Seizure off PR

U.S. Coast Guard along with the Customs Border Protection (CBP) unit successfully intercepted a fast-go vessel off the coast of Puerto Rico near Mona island on July 10th, followed by the seizure of massive cocaine consignment worth $15M. They also withheld two smugglers onboard, aided by the coast guard cutter USCG JOSEPH TEZANOS.

The 1,104 pounds of cocaine found in 502 loose packages confiscated from the 24-foot long vessel were offloaded at the U.S. Coast Guard base in San Juan. This happened two days later, on July 12th. The custody of two detained smugglers was also exchanged at the base to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.

The interception was successful due to the close coordination between various U.S agencies like the CBP, Coast Guard, and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF). The vessel was first tagged suspicious of drug trafficking by the Air and Marine operations Aircrew of the CBP while on a routine patrol on Saturday. CBP notified other agencies of the U.S. southern command for the counter-narcotics operation.

The U.S. Coast Guard which was under a regular mission in the region in close vicinity was diverted to carry out the pursuit to interdict the vessel vectored by the CBP aircraft. USCG JOSEPH TEZANOS‘s arrival at the scene led to the hot pursuit of the fast-go vessel. The two men were observed throwing the drug packages overboard which were later recovered. Ultimately, the vessel was intercepted in Mona Passage waters.

Lt. Anthony Orr, the commanding officer of Cutter USCG JOSEPH TEZANOS expressed his delight as he said, “As Joseph Tezanos completes her patrol, we return home with the pride that half a metric ton of cocaine will not make it to the streets.”

The post From S.A. – $41M of Cocaine Disquised as Charcoal Seized in Holland, Big PR Coke Haul appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.