Canadian police have arrested four people in Toronto after 20kg (44lbs) of cocaine was found in a tropical fruit shipment that included star apples, pineapples and mangoes from Guyana.

The arrests were part of a joint investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's (RCMP) drug enforcement section and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

An RCMP release said the cocaine was hidden in hollowed out star apples, as part of a 17-box air freight shipment.

The release said the shipment was addressed to a falsified Toronto area business. Police have identified the Canada-based suspects involved in the case, as well as their co-conspirators in Guyana and the U.S.

"CBSA officers are the first line of defence and are trained to stop narcotics at the border," said CBSA regional director general for the greater Toronto area Goran Vragovic.

"I want to congratulate the officers involved in this seizure for helping to keep our community safe. The successful results of this investigation show the great benefits of partnering with other law enforcement agencies."

On Jan. 25 the CBSA reported six people had been arrested over a case involving cocaine hidden in a pineapple shipment, as well as marijuana in a watermelon shipment.

In that case, around 19kg (41.8lbs) of cocaine was found in 80 hollowed out pineapples. An RCMP investigation established links between the traffickers and co-conspirators in Jamaica, Guyana, Costa Rica and the U.S.

Photo: RCMP

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