Chile seizes 'historic' 100 tonnes of drugs hidden in lumber

"Thanks to a joint effort by the prosecutor's office, maritime police, and customs, 1,080 tonnes of wood laced with various drugs were seized, marking a historic blow to organized crime in our country," the customs bureau said in a statement.

The drugs found in the lumber were mostly cocaine and ketamine, with an estimated retail value of $8.3 billion on the European market, the statement added.

Following a six-month investigation, authorities identified 45 containers arriving from Bolivia with the tainted lumber.

If the cargo had reached their intended destinations, the drugs would have to be extracted using "advanced chemical processes" in specialized labs, the customs officials said.

The total haul could grow as additional suspicious containers are examined.