Two men have been arrested in Tenerife after more than 22 kilos of cocaine was discovered hidden in the boot of their car when they arrived at the port of Santa Cruz on a ferry from Gran Canaria.

The drugs, divided into around 20 packages, are believed to have a street value of more than €1.3 million, according to the Guardia Civil.

The arrests took place during a fiscal control operation at the port following the arrival of a ferry from Gran Canaria.

Behaviour raised officers' suspicions

Officers stopped and identified the two occupants of a car shortly after it had driven off the ferry.

During initial questioning, the pair reportedly behaved in a way officers considered suspicious and evasive, while also giving answers that were described as inconsistent and contradictory.

As a result, officers decided to carry out a more detailed inspection of the vehicle.

Inside the boot they discovered a large piece of luggage containing numerous packages wrapped in brown tape.

A preliminary drug test was carried out on the contents of the packages and returned a positive result for cocaine.

22 kilos of cocaine and €5,000 in cash

Once all of the packages had been removed and weighed, officers confirmed that they contained a total of 22.16 kilograms of cocaine.

Almost €5,000 in cash was also reportedly discovered inside the vehicle.

According to the Guardia Civil, the cocaine was of high purity, with an estimated market value exceeding €1.3 million.

Both men were arrested and subsequently brought before the relevant judicial authority along with the seized drugs and evidence gathered during the investigation.

A court has since ordered both suspects to be remanded in custody while proceedings continue.

The Guardia Civil says the operation has also enabled officers to dismantle what it described as an important drug-trafficking network.