A French Navy ship seized more than six tons of cocaine from a fishing boat off the African coast on Saturday, the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture announced in a statement on Sunday.
The operation took place on March 15 aboard a 20-meter fishing vessel registered in Guyana in the Gulf of Guinea.
A total of 6,386 kg of cocaine, with an estimated market value of nearly 371 million Euros, was seized. The drugs were then transferred to a French Navy vessel for destruction in accordance with a decision made by the public prosecutor’s office in Brest.
Under the authority of the Atlantic Maritime Prefect and the public prosecutor in Brest, the seizure was carried out at the request of the French Anti-Drug Office (OFAST), following information provided by their partners from MAOC-N (the international maritime intelligence gathering agency), the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The operation involved a team from the French Navy’s helicopter carrier, supported by two Dauphin and Cougar helicopters, as well as a drone. The French Navy regularly deploys one or two ships, along with a maritime patrol aircraft, as part of Operation Corymbe, which aims to secure the Gulf of Guinea.
This « exceptional result » demonstrates « the effectiveness of France’s maritime action » in protecting external borders and combating organized crime, emphasized the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture.
Guyana praised the operation, stating that it had granted French authorities permission to board the vessel, in a statement released on Sunday. The crew of the boat, consisting of a Colombian, a Dominican, and four Guyanese nationals, was intercepted.