The RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency have seized 160 kilograms of cocaine they discovered in a shipment of frozen mango puree from Mexico.
Five Mexican nationals with visitor status in Canada have been charged, RCMP said at a news conference on Tuesday in Montreal.
The haul is the largest maritime-bound drug seizure in the RCMP's history, Sgt. André Potvin told reporters.
The quantity of cocaine works out to about 1.9 million half-gram doses, Potvin said, "so basically, if you look on the street level, at $20 a half-gram, that's in the vicinity of $38 million."
The CBSA said it searched the frozen fruit puree cargo on May 28 after the shipment arrived at the port of Montreal.
The cocaine was stored in plastic bags of four kilograms apiece stashed in several containers included in the seized shipment of 1,200 vats of frozen mango puree.
The suspects are accused of importing the cocaine under the cover of a Montreal food distribution company called Quality Mexiport, created in 2005.
Charged with importing and possessing drugs with the intent to traffick are: Juan Canela, 31; Jose Vasquez, 52; Jose Ochoa, 33; Jesus Quiroz, 32, and Alfonso Estrada, 50.
With files from the Canadian Press
Cocaine found in mango puree. 
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced Tuesday that they had seized approximately 160 kilograms of cocaine discovered in buckets of frozen mango puree imported from Mexico.

Investigations led the police to a shipping container destined for the Port of Montréal, in the Canadian province of Québec. A CBSA officer at the Container Examination Centre in Montréal identified the suspect container. The drug was found in brick-shaped plastic wrapping of about 4 kilograms in weight each. There were 1,200 buckets of frozen mango puree in the shipment, not all with cocaine inside.

RCMP Sgt. André Potvin told reporters that the value of the shipment was significant and was the largest maritime port drug haul in the force's history. At CA$20 per half-gram, "that's in the vicinity of $38 million," said Potvin.

The investigation by the RCMP Drug Section, CBSA Intelligence officers, the Marine Security Enforcement Team and the Port of Montréal Security Group, determined that an import company, named Quality Mexport, was allegedly a front for the drug-smuggling operation.

Five Mexicans, holding visitor status in Canada, were arrested in the matter. They are:

* Juan Manuel Huerta Canela, 31;
* Jose Gerardo Bernal Vasquez, 52;
* Jose Luis Navarro Ochoa, 33;
* Jesus Manuel Villa Quiroz, 32; and
* Alfonso Strag Estrada, age 50.

The suspects have been charged with importing and possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. The charges are allegations at this point in time.