Italian police today found cocaine worth €60m in a British registered freighter after it docked in Salerno.
Sniffer dogs discovered more than half a tonne of pure cocaine hidden between blocks of marble in the vessels containers.
Authorities believe the haul was destined for the Camorra, a crime syndicate which operates in the Naples area and whose illegal activities include drug trafficking.
The ship, which had arrived from Tunisia, had originally set sail from Venezuela.