French Navy Sets New Record With Largest Cocaine Bust Worth $755 Million Off West African Coast

French Navy seized over 11 tonnes of cocaine aboard a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Guinea, exposing an alarming pattern in which South American criminals use a West African route to deliver illicit substances to Europe.

On March 14, an unnamed French warship intercepted a Brazilian-flagged fishing vessel based on intelligence from France’s national intelligence directorate and anti-narcotics office, which was relayed by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

A total of 10,693 kilograms of cocaine, worth about $760 million, was found on board. This comes to about $71,000 per kilogram, a little more than the price of pure gold.

The French Navy deployed ships like the patrol vessel Commandant Bouan to maintain a constant presence in the Gulf of Guinea. At the same time, the identity of the precise warship involved remained undisclosed.

This seizure is not a unique incidence; in September of last year, 2.4 tonnes of cocaine were discovered on board another fishing vessel in the area by French forces.

According to trafficking professionals, these shipments are likely a part of a planned route that starts in South America and travels via seaports in Brazil to West Africa, where they are transloaded before being shipped to European markets.

The greatest criminal organization in Brazil, Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), is said to be a significant participant in this network and to use the port of Santos for trafficking.

This seizure of 10.7 metric tons of cocaine is the largest interception of illegal narcotics off the West African coast. The French Navy cooperated with the US DEA and French anti-trafficking organizations. It is estimated that the cocaine that was seized was worth €695 million ($755 million).

West Africa has historically acted as a transit point for cocaine destined for Europe. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime believes that traffickers looking for new routes and rising demand in Europe could be the causes of the recent spike in major seizures in the area.

The operation was directed against a vessel about 20 meters (66 feet) long and flew under the Brazilian flag. The public prosecutor’s office in Brest chose to destroy the drugs rather than charge the crew despite the substantial haul.

The French Navy has a regular presence in the Gulf of Guinea, deploying one to two ships accompanied by maritime patrol aircraft as part of continuous security operations.

Reference: Bloomberg

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