A cocaine smuggling ring that used surfboards to transport the drug from South America to Europe has allegedly been busted, according to Uruguayan police.
Three citizens of Italy were taken into custody with the assistance of counter-narcotics officers in Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
Officers in Uruguay were notified by sniffer dogs of six surfboards that together contained 50kg (110lb) of cocaine.
In order to find those receiving it, the police permitted the dispatch of one board.
The suspicious package was discovered by the dogs' handlers on May 23. The boards were reportedly unusually heavy, and when officers ran them through a scanner, they discovered concealed packages inside.
White powder can be seen spilling from one of the boards after it has been cut open in a photo provided by Uruguay's interior ministry.
Police in Portugal detained two Italian nationals as they attempted to retrieve the surfboard that was loaded with cocaine but had been allowed through.
Police allege that a third Italian national, who was detained in Italy, transported the drugs from Uruguay to Europe.
The transatlantic operation was praised as "a model of international cooperation" by the prosecutor's office in Uruguay.
Uruguay, which borders Brazil and Argentina, is increasingly being used by drug traffickers as a transit nation to transport drugs from South American drug-producing regions to Europe.
According to Uruguay's interior minister, the nation is fully committed to the fight against drug trafficking and that blocking shipments of drugs at the country's ports and border crossings is essential.
Police believe that the Italian smugglers posted the surfboards in Uruguay before crossing the border into Brazil and continuing on to Argentina.
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