Authorities in Colombia, working alongside counterparts in Panama and the United States, have seized 5.4 tonnes of cocaine worth USD 185 million, the Andean country’s navy said.

The drugs were found after a speedboat fled back into Colombian waters after being detected by Panamanian authorities and was pursued by members of Colombia’s coast guard, the navy said in a statement.

Following a detailed inspection of the area, members of the coast guard found the suspicious vessel with 81 sacks on board and 147 other sacks hidden in the surrounding vegetation, which together contained the cocaine.

The drugs belonged to the Clan del Golfo criminal gang, the authorities said. The group is led by Dairo Antonio Usuga, known as “Otoniel”, Colombia’s most-wanted drug trafficking suspect.