A wild elephant became the unexpected hero in local authorities' fight against drugs when it discovered a backpack containing six pounds of opium.

The tusker was reportedly part of a wild herd passing by officers near the Mengman Township in Yunnan Province, south-western China, when it stumbled across the narcotics.

Police officers who were patrolling the area due to reports from concerned locals about four Asian elephants roaming through nearby villages noticed the behaviour. They monitored the herd as one of them suddenly stopped walking nd began sniffing around in the grass.

Footage shows the moment the wild animal suddenly pulled out a black backpack from the bush and flung it in the air.

Officers reportedly rushed to retrieve the bag and were stunned when they inspected its insides. They discovered a black, sealed package in the backpack that later turned out to contain 2.8 kilogrammes (6.1 lbs) of opium-based drugs.

Police said drug trafficking is a growing problem in the area around Mengman. Criminals often take advantage of the vast vegetation to hide from authorities and sneak around the narcotics. The case is under further investigation.