Two tons of cocaine, worth 400 million euros at retail, were seized by Catania Guardia di Finanza officers. The drug was discovered at sea off the eastern coast of Sicily, with the financiers identifying numerous floating packages, each accompanied by a luminous signaling device and held together by nets that prevented their dispersal. They were carefully packed to keep water out of the contents and to keep them afloat. According to investigators, one of the cargo ships that ply that stretch of coast intentionally abandoned the cargo at sea so that it could be recovered and transported to land. Following the discovery, some planes flew over the area to look for additional packages scattered in the surrounding area. The drug was in over 1,600 loaves, totaling nearly two tons. It is one of the largest narcotic substance discoveries ever made on national territory.