Police in central Macedonia yesterday arrested two members of what is believed to be a major drug-smuggling ring, despite an attempt by one of them to avert officers with a hand grenade.

Nearly 110 kilos of cannabis were confiscated from the duo, aged 28 and 44, after an officer posed as a customer at a prearranged meeting on a farm near the village of Stenimacho, Imathia. The two men first produced 57 kilos of the drug, for which they demanded 21,000 euros.

When officers stepped in to arrest them, the 28-year-old pulled out a grenade but was disarmed before he could activate it. Police then searched the area and found another 51.5 kilos of cannabis and a Kalashnikov assault rifle hidden in bushes. The younger suspect reportedly told police he had smuggled the drugs from Albania on horses on Saturday.