Abu Dhabi: Egyptian security forces have seized more than 8 tonnes of hashish and more than 8 million captagon tablets in a container in the Mediterranean Port Said, local media reported.

The Egyptian Ministry of Interior said in a statement the General Administration for Narcotics Control was able to seize a container coming from an Arab country to another Arab country via Port Said, by transit.

“The owners of the container provided shipping documents proving that it contains plastic materials to conceal a large amount of narcotic substances within its contents,” the statement added.

“Some 8.22 tonness of hashish and more than 8 million captagon tablets, worth 611 million Egyptian pounds (Dh143m) were seized,” the statement said.

The ministry described the seizure as “the biggest ever drug haul and one of the biggest blows to drugs smugglers.”