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Interpol says it has seized a huge quantity of drugs in Africa and the Middle East, in operations involving more than 40 countries.

In the capital of Niger, Niamey, 17 tonnes of cannabis resin worth tens of millions of dollars were found in a warehouse.

Interpol said the drugs had been shipped from Lebanon to Togo and after being trucked to Niger were destined for Libya.

A spokesman said the organisation had seen a marked increase in the use of Libya as a transit point.

Operations which took place in March and April under the code name Lionfish also saw South African police seizing almost 1,000 bricks of cocaine in a fishing vessel off the country’s western coast.