In Ivory Coast, Police have seized a record haul of more than 2 tonnes of pure cocaine with a street value of around 41 billion CFA francs ($67.7 million). The interior ministry said yesterday that the cocaine was seized from traffickers this month in a police operation that took place in the commercial capital Abidjan and the port city of San Pedro.<br />'' <br />'' The statement gave few details but said nine people, including Ivorians and foreign nationals, had been arrested and investigations were underway. The previous record haul was just over a year ago when about a tonne of cocaine was seized in one of Abidjan's northern districts.<br />'' <br />'' Major drug hauls in Ivory Coast are rare, but large cocaine seizures have become increasingly common along the West African Atlantic Coast. The region is often used as a transit route for illegal drugs on their way from South America to Europe.<br />'' <br />''About 40 tonnes pass through the region annually, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.<br />