VILNIUS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian police announced Monday they had seized more than half a ton of hashish with a street value of around 5 million euros (6 million U.S. dollars), in what is one of the largest drug cargoes confiscated in the country's history.
According to the Lithuanian criminal police bureau, the drugs were found following a large-scale international operation that took place in the first two weeks of September.
Police detained eight suspects from Lithuania on charges of international drug trafficking. They could face 15 years in prison or life sentences.
"During the operation, one of the largest quantities of narcotic substances in Lithuanian history have been taken out of the market," chief of Lithuanian police Linas Pernavas told a press conference on Monday.
Based on counterintelligence information, the drugs are believed to have been destined for Russia, Lithuanian police said in a press release, although this is not yet certain.
According to Pernavas, the cargo was too large for the Lithuanian market, a small Baltic country with a population of less than three million people.
