Nine Dutch nationals, including one minor, have been arrested in Poland after they were caught trying a remove a consignment of cocaine from Gdynia port in the Gulf of Gdansk.

The nine were picked up over several nights in early December but news of the arrests has only just been picked up by Dutch media. They were, according to the Polish prosecution service, found at a container terminal hunting for a consignment of cocaine.

The last attempt to get hold of the drugs took place on December 10, and security footage, in the hands of the AD, shows four men hiding behind a small office building as the police approach.

The container contained 120 kilos of the drug, the Polish authorities said.

Lawyers say the nine face between two and 12 years in jail for their role in the smuggling operation and will be held in custody until early March at least. The minor is being looked after in a special facility, the AD said.

Prosecutors told the AD it is the first time that Dutch nationals have been caught trying to remove drugs from a container in Gdynia or Gdansk. Dutch police told the paper that apart from Antwerp, they are aware of only one other case, in Finland four years ago.

In 2020 the Polish authorities seized a record three tonnes of cocaine hidden in barrels of frozen pineapple pulp at Gdynia port.