France A large number of drug packages washed up on beaches along the Atlantic coast, prompting prosecutors to investigate.

"Suspicious packages were discovered on beaches from the province of Loire Atlantique to Landes province, more than 500 km long," the Rennes prosecutor's office, west of France, said in a November 10 statement. . Cocaine in the packages is "especially pure and therefore very dangerous," the prosecutor office added, calling on people not to touch the packages.

Officials opened a drug investigation but did not disclose how many packages were banned.

A source close to the investigation said the tide had pushed up packages of cocaine washed up on beaches since last month. They are labeled "diamond" or "crystal" but contain pure cocaine inside.

On November 8, two people discovered two packages of cocaine on Arcachon beach, containing 3 kg of cocaine. A total of nearly 150 kg of cocaine worth millions of dollars was discovered and seized from French beaches.

Le Parisien on 9/11 quoted police sources as saying the first package was discovered in Saint Jean de Monts on 18/10 and since then, nearly every hour more cocaine packages have been discovered.