Police investigating the violent death of a man inside a Malaga apartment have uncovered more than 280kg of cocaine hidden inside the property.

The grim discovery was made in the Edificio Latino building in the Puerto de la Torre district after officers were called by worried friends who had not heard from the occupant for more than 24 hours.

The victim, a 37-year-old Spanish man, had failed to answer his phone or the door despite his car and motorbike still being parked outside.

Police entered the property on Tuesday afternoon with assistance from firefighters and discovered the man dead inside with signs of violence.

However, investigators currently believe the death may have been suicide, pending the results of a full autopsy.

The case then took a dramatic turn when officers carrying out a forensic search inside the flat uncovered large quantities of cocaine hidden throughout the property.

Witnesses described heavily armed officers arriving at the scene and sealing off the street outside the apartment block while bags and packages were removed from the building and loaded into police vans.

Initial estimates suggested around 100kg of cocaine had been found, but that figure reportedly rose to more than 280kg following further searches of the first-floor apartment.

The investigation has now been taken over by Malaga’s specialist anti-drug and organised crime unit, the Udyco.

Detectives are attempting to reconstruct the victim’s final days and determine exactly what happened inside the flat.

Sources say the deceased man had previous convictions linked to drug trafficking and had previously served time in prison.

He was reportedly working at a real estate agency in Malaga at the time of his death.

Police enquiries have also revealed the man allegedly received a visit from a friend on Saturday before later being seen on Sunday with another individual who reportedly helped him carry a piece of furniture described as ‘very heavy’ into the apartment.