French police arrested a traveller at a Paris train station who had hidden numerous items of luxury jewellery worth 10 million euros (11.7 million dollars) in his underwear.

Investigations into gang-related handling of stolen goods have been launched against the man and an accomplice who was also detained.

The Paris prosecutor’s office announced this on Monday.

The men were also found to be carrying an angle grinder in a suitcase.

According to the newspaper Le Parisien, citing investigators, the men were already known to the authorities.

There were stopped during a routine check at the Gare de Lyon long-distance train station after the arrival of a train.

During the inspection, officers discovered that one of the men had concealed a sock in his underwear containing a luxury watch and numerous pieces of jewellery.

The haul also included a necklace valued at an estimated 5 million euros, earrings worth over 2 million euros, and a ring worth 1 million euros.