French Navy seizes millions of dollars worth of cocaine
The French Navy seized just under 10.7 tons of cocaine from a Brazilian fishing boat in the Gulf of Guinea, with a street value of hundreds of millions of dollars, reports Arab News plus agencies.
On the 14th of March, the operation off the West African coast targeted a Brazilian-flagged boat measuring around 20 meters (66 feet).
One to two ships are stationed by the French Navy supported by a maritime patrol aircraft in the Gulf of Guinea as part of a longstanding security operation.
France’s Atlantic maritime prefecture stated that French authorities requested the raid due to a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement (DEA).
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The prefecture added that the 10,693 kilograms of cocaine that was seized had an “estimated market value of nearly 695 million euros”.
The haul tops the seizure of 9.6 tons in Cape Verde in 2019.
The Brest public prosecutor’s office, which holds jurisdiction over such cases, ordered the destruction of the drugs, however, decided not to prosecute the crew.
West Africa has long been considered a transit route for cocaine coming from Latin America to Europe.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said that the large confiscations in the region may be due to a growing demand in Europe and traffickers seeking new routes.
Arab News/ Agencies.
