Belgian authorities said on Friday they had seized almost five tonnes of cocaine stashed in shipping containers at Antwerp port, as part of a cross-border investigation into a drug trafficking ring.

Prosecutors said eight people were detained following searches carried out in Belgium and the Netherlands earlier this month.

The inspections led to the seizure of 185,000 euros (US$193,000) in cash as well as weapons, jewellery, luxury handbags, watches and 4.78 tonnes of cocaine.

The probe focused on a criminal organisation involved in trafficking cocaine to Belgium from South America, Central America and Canada, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The group allegedly facilitated the clearing of suspicious containers in the port of Antwerp and, in return for payment, provided logistical assistance to other organisations, it said.

Antwerp's port is one of the major gateways for drugs smuggled from South America to the European market, and busts in and around the vast facility occur frequently.

Cocaine seizures there hit a record 116 tonnes last year. (AFP)