German police announced on October 9 that they found 330 kilograms of heroin hidden in a truck that was transporting pickled cucumbers and garlic from Iran.
Authorities say the shipment of highly refined heroin had an estimated street value of more than 50 million euros and was the biggest single drug seizure in Germany in decades.
The truck contained more heroin than the total amount seized by police in Germany in 2013.
The truck was intercepted on September 22 in the city of Essen as law enforcement agencies across the European Union conducted a closely coordinated operation against organized criminal groups.
The alleged recipients, two brothers who run businesses in Essen and Cologne, were arrested.
In January, German customs agents found 45 kilograms of heroin woven into a shipment of nine Iranian carpets.