Rome ------------- The Italian police have confiscated drugs worth millions of euros hidden inside waste paper in the harbour town of La Spezia, authorities said on Friday.

Twelve packets (412 kilogrammes) of highly refined cocaine with a street value of about 100 million euros or $114.6 million were found in the container.

The container was allegedly shipped from the Dominican Republic and was meant to be sent on to Valencia in Spain.

Italian harbours are often the site of major drug finds.

About two years ago, investigators in La Spezia also, discovered 338 kilogrammes of cocaine that had been sent from Brazil.

Just a few weeks ago, the Police in the southern Italian city of Gioia Tauro reported a finding of three tonnes of cocaine on New Year’s Eve, that were sent from South America and packed in a shipment of bananas.