Customs officials at Mo in the Helgeland police district in northern Norway said the find was uncovered during a routine check of the South American ship "Crusader" at the Elkem Aluminium quay in Mosjøen on Wednesday evening.
Police station chief Anbjørn Falkmo at Mosjøen said the bust made "the NOKAS robbery look like small change". The NOKAS robbery is Norway's most high profile crime and the criminals, currently on trial, made off with around NOK 60 million (USD 9.3 million).
"We will give no further comments until the press conference this afternoon," Falkmo told Norwegian news bureau NTB.
Newspaper Helgeland Arbeiderblad reported that operations were ongoing Thursday, and that the area around the quay had been cordoned off, and only Elkem employees were allowed access.
Plant director Harald Bentzen at Elkem Aluminium Mosjøen said that the discovery had come as a "reasonably large surprise".
"We know this ship, which regularly delivers aluminum dioxide to our quay," Bentzen said.
