Berlin, Sep 13 (IANS): German police seized 2.3 ton of cocaine from Peru and arrested the alleged organiser of the major drug trafficking, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) said.

In cooperation with Peruvian authorities, the cocaine smuggling was first only observed without preventing it in a so-called controlled delivery, according to German police on Monday. Authorities knew on which ship the drug was transported on.

In addition to the 58-year-old main suspect living in Cologne, four suspected accomplices of the drug trafficking were arrested in Peru, according to police.

"The supply pressure of cocaine from South America remains high," said BKA Vice-President Martina Link.

In Germany as well as in other countries in Europe and worldwide, quantities of seized cocaine "increased significantly in recent years".

The largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Europe was found by customs investigators of the port of Hamburg in northern Germany in February 2021 when 16 ton of cocaine was detected in containers from Paraguay, Xinhua news agency reported.

The sea route played a "prominent role" in drug smuggling into Europe, said Link. Combating internationally organised narcotics trafficking remained a "priority task".