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The French navy has seized nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated $610m (£540m) off the coast of West Africa, authorities announced.
Two French naval vessels, operating under Operation Corymbe, intercepted the unflagged fishing vessel on Monday after a tip-off from maritime intelligence, French anti-drug agencies, and the UK’s National Crime Agency.
“This operation led to the interception of 9.6 tonnes of cocaine by two French ships,” the navy said, noting that 54 tonnes of drugs have been seized in the region since the start of the year.
France’s Atlantic Maritime Prefecture credited “seamless cooperation by national and international actors” for what it called a “remarkable seizure.”
The Gulf of Guinea has become a major transit hub for cocaine trafficked from South America to Europe. The area has also long been notorious for piracy, prompting Western navies—including France—to deploy ships to bolster maritime security.
The bust is one of the largest in the region, second only to the French navy’s record seizure of 10.7 tonnes of cocaine off West Africa in March last year.
