WATCH: Dramatic hash swoop after drugs gang opens fire on police in southern Spain

MORE than eight tonnes of hashish has been seized after drugs traffickers opened fire on a police patrol in southern Spain.

The giant haul was unearthed during raids on two properties in Cadiz.

Shots were fired at four officers who were patrolling the Botafuegos neighbourhood in Algeciras – notorious for its connections to drug trafficking – on foot.

The gunfire came from a nearby house, with some of the bullets landing close to their feet.

The men immediately called for backup and armed units surrounded the property.

A negotiator then tried to talk to the gang members, who had barricaded themselves inside.

The move triggered a tense two-hour standoff which eventually saw four men held after they laid down their weapons.

Four loaded guns, including two pistols and two shotguns, two bulletproof vests and 2,500 kilos of hashish were found inside, investigators said in a statement.

It comes after an earlier incident saw more than 6,000 kilos of the drug impounded when a young man fled after he ran into a police patrol in La Linea de la Concepcion.

He was tracked down to a nearby garage, with several men escaping and one held when officers stormed the building.

The drugs were hidden in a secret compartment hidden under a shower and accessed using an elaborate hydraulic mechanism.

Police also took possession of a van carrying false licence plates that detectives believe was stolen in France.