PARIS, France (AFP) — Customs officials seized more than seven tonnes of cannabis from three vans parked in an upmarket area of Paris, French President Francois Hollande said yesterday, in the biggest ever such haul in the capital.

The discovery overnight, Saturday to Sunday, is the result of a weeks-long investigation by the National Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations (DNRED).

“The drugs were found in empty vehicles, parked on a boulevard, that were obviously being used as temporary and mobile storage places,” Finance Minister Michel Sapin said in a statement.

The cannabis was found in big bags in the trunks of the vans in Paris’s posh 16th district, and altogether, the total value of the 7.1 tonnes seized is thought to be at least 15 million euros (US$17 million).

The seizure is the biggest France has seen “in a long time” and the largest ever in Paris, Hollande said as he visited the DNRED’s headquarters on the outskirts of Paris.

“I came here to congratulate the customs officials who were able, last night, after working for a long time, to seize more than seven tonnes of cannabis,” said the president.

He said the bust was a huge setback for criminal gangs because “behind these seized bags lie criminal organisations who have links with other organisations, including terrorists.”

A DNRED investigator said the vans were hired vehicles bearing French number plates. A fourth van, which was empty, was parked nearby.

The alert was sounded by a local resident who was intrigued by the presence of the vans, parked on an arterial boulevard for more than a week.

A customs source said no arrests had yet been made but added that “DNA and fingerprints found inside will be used”.

The cannabis came from Morocco and probably transited through Spain. They were packed in jute bags sealed with adhesive tape.