Bulgarian officials seize 420 pounds of cocaine hidden on a cargo ship from Peru

Bulgarian customs officials have found about 420 pounds of cocaine hidden on a ship at the Black Sea port of Burgas

SOFIA, Bulgaria -- Bulgarian customs officials on Sunday found about 190 kilograms (420 pounds) of cocaine hidden on a ship at the Black Sea port of Burgas.

The cargo vessel from Peru had a crew of 11 and was carrying copper concentrate for processing in a plant, the state-run news agency BTA reported.

According to police, the cocaine seizure was valued at $7 million. The drugs were scattered in various places along the vessel's pipelines, police said.

An investigation was launched into the intended recipients of the cocaine, who could face up to 20 years in jail if convicted on drug trafficking charges.

Bulgaria, which has recently intensified a crackdown on drug trafficking, is considered a transit point for cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe.