In a major anti-drug trafficking operation, the French Navy intercepted and seized over 5 tons of cocaine aboard a semi-rigid boat in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Africa last Wednesday, December 6. The operation was carried out by a high seas patrol boat, which apprehended the vessel and handed over four suspected drug traffickers to Cape Verdean authorities.
According to the Atlantic maritime prefecture, the market value of the seized cocaine is estimated to be more than 330 million euros in France. The narcotics were found on a semi-rigid boat, approximately fifteen meters long, of the type commonly known as a “go fast.” Following the seizure, the drugs were transhipped onto the French Navy’s Patrouilleur de haute mer (PHM) for destruction.
International judicial cooperation tools were promptly activated, leading to the referral of the case to the anti-drug prosecutor’s office in Madrid. The four alleged traffickers were subsequently arrested by Cape Verdean authorities. The suspects’ nationality has not been disclosed.
The operation was conducted based on information provided by the Maritime Analysis and Operations Center (Narcotics) in Lisbon and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The French Navy maintains a continuous presence in the Gulf of Guinea through Operation “Corymbe,” deploying ships and aircraft to combat various maritime threats, including drug trafficking.
This successful operation underscores the importance of international collaboration in combating transnational crimes, particularly in the strhe operation was carried out by a high seas patrol boat, which apprehended the vessel and handed over four suspected drug traffickers to Cape Verdean authorities.
