Police in Italy have arrested a 35-year-old man of Moroccan origin after they caught him in possession of more than 800 kilogrammes of drugs.

Officers from the Mobile Squad in Milan had been investigating a suspicious-looking garage in Treviglio, in the province of Bergamo, as a probable storage depot for drugs.

An intense surveillance operation began, during which the officers observed a van entering the area of the garage.

The vehicle was registered in the name of an uncensored woman, but it was being driven by a North African citizen.

This raised suspicions, prompting the police to intervene, stopping the man and inspecting the garage.

Inside, they found several bags containing 120 kilogrammes of hashish, police said.

A search of the van reportedly revealed an additional 765 kilogrammes of drugs.