Georgian police have seized nearly 300 kilograms of heroin hidden in a truck passing through Armenia, the Interior Ministry said.

This is the largest anti-drug trafficking operation in the country in the last decade.

The truck was on its way to Europe via the Black Sea port city of Batumi, according to a statement from the ministry quoted by AFP.

"The heroin, with a market value of around 85 million lari (about $30 million), was found in plastic containers disguised as fireproof bricks," the ministry said.

The Georgian citizen arrested on charges of purchasing, possessing, and importing large quantities of drugs faces life imprisonment.

The ministry described the case as "international drug trafficking on an unprecedented scale uncovered in Georgia."

In 2014, authorities seized 2.79 tons of liquid heroin worth about $400 million.

At the time, it was reported that the drugs belonged to the Taliban and were destined for Europe.

Located between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea, Georgia is on a key drug trafficking route from Afghanistan to Europe, with drugs passing through Iran and the South Caucasus to Russia, Turkey, or Western Europe. | BGNES