The drugs were destined for Britain

The lorry was en route from Spain when it was stopped at the Saint-Jean-de-Vedas motorway toll gate, near the town of Montpelier.

Customs officers using a sniffer dog detected the drugs, which were hidden among wooden palettes containing fruit juice and construction tiles.

It is not clear if the officials were acting on a tip-off or were carrying out a routine search.

They said the drugs were destined for the British market and had probably come from Morocco, which produces the bulk of cannabis consumed in Europe.

Arrest

The lorry driver, who has not been named, said he did not know anything about the cannabis.

He was remanded in custody on suspicion of international drug trafficking following his arrest last Wednesday.

France's Budget Minister, Alain Lambert, congratulated the customs service on what he described as an "exceptional seizure".