Twelve people have been arrested in the Netherlands and one in Belgium in connection with the production and export of large quantities of drugs to Scandinavia, police said on Thursday.

The 12 Dutch suspects were arrested in raids on homes and business premises all over the country, including Utrecht, Hilversum and Almere.

Two of the 12 were arrested at the request of the Swedish authorities who are investigating the seizure of 500 kilos of drugs by Swedish customs officials earlier this year, police said.

The arrests were made earlier this week but have just been made public.

Police also confiscated large quantities of cash, guns, luxury cars and a money-counting machine as well as large quantities of drugs during the raids.

They found 44 kilos of powdered MDMA, 26 kilos of pills and some 380 kilos of colourings, cutting agents and other ingredients to make ecstasy pills at one drugs lab in Maarssen.

Some 20 kilos of MDMA and 12,000 ecstasy pills were found in a storage box in Aalsmeer.

Christmas

Meanwhile, routine checks by customs officers at a warehouse in Zuid-Holland has turned up hundreds of kilos of hard and soft drugs hidden in a consignment of Christmas decorations.

The boxes were due to be shipped to Britain. No one has yet been arrested in connection with the find.