The National Police and the Spanish Civil Guard have discovered more than six metric tons (MT) of cocaine hidden in bananas in an industrial estate on the outskirts of Malaga.

The drugs were hidden inside fruit said to have originated in Ecuador.

The National Police said it has detained 16 people so far, as well as €300,000 (US$342,600) in cash, firearms, high-end vehicles, and documentation.

Local news media reported that the number of people arrested was expected to double shortly.

It has become common to find fruit shipments hiding cocaine or other types of drugs around the globe.

At the beginning of the week, U.S. customs found cocaine in a berry shipment going into Canada, while banana and pineapple shipments have also been found concealing drugs in numerous locations.

A few weeks ago, Ecuadorian authorities seized at the time a 296-kilogram load of cocaine discovered in banana boxes bound for New Zealand.

? Intervenidas más de 6 toneladas de cocaína ocultas en un cargamento de bananas? en un polígono industrial de #Málaga.
Detenidas 16 personas e intervenidos 300.000€, armas de fuego, vehículos de alta gama y abundante documentación.#Estamosporti pic.twitter.com/njyW6kYYo0

— Policía Nacional (@policia) October 25, 2018

Photo: El País