Police have intercepted 2,000 kilos of ketamine, the largest haul of the drug ever found in the Netherlands, at a home in the commuter town of Muiderberg.

The haul is thought to be worth some €55 million, police said on Friday. Several kilos of other hard drugs were found as well.

An anonymous tip-off about “a large number of drugs” led police to Muiderberg in Noord-Holland on January 4, where they found dozens of boxes full of ketamine  in a shed.

A 55-year-old man from Naarden has been arrested in connection with the find. His role in the case is still being investigated.

Meanwhile, two children who were present when police raided his house have been reported to child protection agency Veilig Thuis.

Ketamine is not a banned substance in the Netherlands but it is not allowed to trade or store it without registration. People who do so risk jail sentences of up to six years.

The drug, originally used as a painkiller and an anesthetic for horses, is becoming more popular in the party circuit, the Trimbos addiction centre said.