Spanish authorities have seized 720 kilogrammes of cocaine off a ship that arrived in Malaga from Costa Rica at the end of September, police and customs announced on Monday, writes barrons.com.

The haul, which is equivalent to 1,587 pounds, was hidden in a safe that was buried under piles of metal scraps, according to a video released by the authorities. Eight people were arrested, the interior ministry said in a statement.

At the end of August, Spain seized nearly 9.5 tonnes of cocaine from Ecuador, a record that was stashed in a container of bananas. Spain’s proximity to North Africa, a key source of hashish, and its close ties with former colonies in Latin America - the world’s main cocaine-producing region - have made it a portal for drug smuggling into Europe.