WED 10am Police seize over million ecstasy pills in south of France

French police have seized more than a million ecstasy tablets worth around 10 million euros from two vehicles in southeastern France, police said on Tuesday.

Four people travelling in the vehicles were detained last week in the Drome department in southeast France and charged with drug possession and distribution, among other offenses, said a statement.

A handgun was also found during the searches.
Massive haul
The haul - weighing more than 540 kilos - represents two-thirds of the drug typically seized in France in a year, and is worth around 10 million euros, according to the interior ministry.

The bust was the result of an investigation launched in October following the suspicious use of a rented vehicle in the southeastern department of Isere.

In April, investigators had detected preparations that appeared to point to a drug transporting operation from the north of France.