Wild boar have scuppered the plans of a gang of criminals after sniffing out an enormous stash of cocaine worth £17,000.
The class A drug was uncovered strewn across the Valdichiana valley in Tuscany after having been dug up and eaten by the pack of hungry hogs.
According to reports, the gang of hapless villains had been traced by police officers who were listening to their phone calls and heard them complaining about it.
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The group, which was made up of an Italian and three Albanians, had packed the cocaine into jars before burying them in the countryside. It's understood that they had been shifting about two kilos of the substance into Arezzo and Siena every month.
But sadly for the crooks, on this occasion the jars were no match for the sniffing capabilities of the wild boar who tracked them down and ruined the whole plan.
The case dates back to May last year when police opened an investigation into the death of an alleged drug dealer from Albania, 21, who was murdered.
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However, according to reports, it's not just criminals who are being irked by the presence of the country's wild boars.
Earlier this month, farmers in Rome were out protesting over the animals, claiming they were destroying their land and causing fatal car accidents.
According to the president of Italy's farming association, Coldiretti Ettore Prandini, there are around two million hogs in the country.
Speaking about the protests, he said: "It is no longer just a question of compensation but a matter of personal safety and it must be resolved.
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"Ministries and leaders of regions and municipalities must act in a concerted manner to draw up an extraordinary plan without administrative obstacles, otherwise the problem is destined to get worse."
Mainland Europe has been awash - quite literally - with class A drugs of late.
Over the past few weeks, more than 760kg (1,657lb) of cocaine has washed up on beaches in southwest France. Wowzers.
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The parcels are said to be worth around £52 million (€60m) have been found on several beaches, including Capbreton and Le Porge.
The prosecutor's office of the city of Rennes said: "Suspect packages have been found on all beaches... from the Loire-Atlantique department down to the Landes department."
French media have reported that two people were out for a walk on Friday when they found a 3kg (6.6lb) parcel and alerted the police.
Cops have told anyone who comes across any other suspicious packages not to touch them and to call police.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Police, Interesting, Drugs, France, Animals, Italy