Greek and Croatian police yesterday claimed to have broken a major drug-smuggling ring in the Balkans following the seizure of 160 kilos of cocaine bound for Bosnia.

The hauls led to the arrest of a 34-year-old Greek man and another six people in Bosnia and Croatia. Two Albanians are also being sought. Half of the cocaine was found concealed inside the frame of a freight container in a warehouse in Aspropyrgos, according to Greek officers.

The second 80-kilo haul was found in the Bosnian town of Banja Luka, concealed in the same way. The drugs, believed to have been loaded at a port in Ecuador, had been destined for a Bosnian company in Banja Luka, police said. The shipments passed through several European ports in a bid to thwart police, officers said. The 160 kilos of cocaine – one of the biggest hauls ever made in the region – has a street value of 11 million euros.