Vienna police have seized 145 kilograms (320 pounds) of cocaine with a street value of around 15 million euros ($18.7 million) and arrested 145 suspects, Austrian police reported on Wednesday.

According to police spokesman Georg Rabensteiner, the operation, codenamed Leopold, was conducted over a three-year period in cooperation with the special forces of other countries.

The narcotics made their way from Peru, the Caribbean and the Republic of South Africa into Germany. The shipments were then divided into 12-15 kilograms (25-35 pounds) and transported into Vienna in the spare tires of cars, Rabensteiner said.

Police in Hungary, Peru and Germany arrested a further 29 people connected with the Austrian drug ring.
sections: World News