AKIPRESS.COM - Police in the Marshall Islands have found their biggest drug haul ever, in an abandoned boat washed ashore on a small atoll.

It's thought the vessel might have drifted across the Pacific Ocean from Latin America, spending possibly months out at sea, BBC reports.

The 649kg (1,430lb) of cocaine have an estimated street value of $80m (£61m).

Drugs often wash ashore on the remote Pacific archipelago, but last week's discovery set a new record.

Police said the drugs were incinerated on Tuesday, apart from two packets, which have been sent to the US Drug Enforcement Administration for testing.

The 5.5m-long (18ft) boat was found by a local resident on Ailuk atoll. Locals tried to move the vessel but were unable to do so as it was too heavy.

Upon further investigation, they discovered the packets of drugs in a hidden compartment inside the boat.