Spanish police said Wednesday that they had seized 13 tons of cocaine —the country's largest-ever haul of the drug — and made one arrest.

Police and customs agents intercepted the cocaine in the southern port of Algeciras on 14 October from a container ship that had arrived from Ecuador's largest city Guayaquil, a drug-trafficking hub.

The ship carried crates of bananas that concealed identically designed boxes containing the cocaine, and intelligence from Ecuadoran police tipped off the Spanish authorities.

A woman believed to be a partner of the importing company was arrested in the central Spanish city of Toledo and two other suspects are on the run, police said.

Spain is a main entry point for drugs into Europe because of its close ties with former colonies in Latin America and its proximity to Morocco, a top cannabis producer.