WORLD: French seize £30 million of cocaine bound for London

The vehicle's driver and a passenger – both thought to be UK nationals – were being questioned by detectives today after being arrested yesterday in the south of France.

They were allegedly trying to get 684 kilos of the drug – more than half a metric tonne – to England, which is at the centre of the largest cocaine trade in Europe.

This incredible weight of white powder is almost double what British police can usually hope to seize from traders and users in an entire year.

French traffic police became suspicious when the HGV was seen driving erratically on the A9 Mediterranean coast motorway outside the city of Montepellier.

When it was pulled over for routine customs and excise check, a scanner revealed the presence of the "abnormal load". "It's the biggest haul of cocaine every seized in mainland France," added a local customs spokesman.

"The drugs were found on the lorry as it travelled through Francefrom Spain. It's likely that its ultimate destination was London. Police are currently questioning the driver and passenger who were on board, both of whom are thought to be British nationals.

"At the moment they can be held for up to four days, but clearly this period will be extended if they are charged. This is such an important find that budget minister Eric Woerth is coming to examine the drugs personally later this week."

The cocaine was concealed at the back of the lorry trailer, behind a pile of peat.

Masses of white powder were distributed around 32 freshly painted cash registers which had been placed on two wooden boards.

Customs officers said the drug had been also been packaged "with great care" inside a number of plastic bags or rubber containers sealed with silicon.

Spain is the main entry point for cocaine into Europe, with most of it originally coming from South America and Africa.

A report released this month by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) revealed that the street price of pure cocaine had increased from an average of £35,000 per kilo two years ago to about £45,000 today.

Over a twelve month period between 2002-2008, the British police made 19,054 cocaine seizures, totaling 351 kilos of the drug.

The multi-billion pounds cocaine industry has grown rapidly in recent years as the potentially deadly powder is used in night clubs, and even at middle class dinner parties.

It is also remains popular among showbusiness stars and other super-rich celebrities.