German police said they had detained seven men suspected of smuggling an estimated 5 million euros worth of cocaine, in one of the country's largest ever strikes against drug trafficking.

Police said some 100 kg of cocaine was intercepted in Berlin. The shipment had come to the German port of Bremerhaven from Panama, police said. It was hidden in a container with coffee beans.

Germany's central location in Europe and its well-developed infrastructure make it a major transit hub for drug commerce, according to the United States' "2011 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report".

Traffickers smuggle cocaine from South America to Germany for the domestic market, as well as through Germany to other European countries.

According to media reports, the authorities believed the smugglers were planning to bring a total of 650 kg of cocaine to Germany in three shipments. (Reuters)