A great achievement in the fight against drug trafficking! Indeed, on December 18, a sailboat sailing in high seas was boarded by the surveillance frigate Ventôse. On board: 1200 kg of cocaine and three crew members.
On Monday, December 18, guided by information from the National Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations (DNRED), the French Navy intervened in unfavorable weather conditions, in rough seas, more than 2000 kilometers off the coast of Martinique, on a sailboat suspected of illicit trafficking to Europe.
The visiting team from the French Navy, reinforced by marine riflemen, carried out a nautical raid to surprise the sailboat. 44 bales were thus discovered and seized, or approximately 1200 kg of cocaine.
The three crew members and the cargo were transferred to the Ventôse which then headed towards Fort-de-France where they will be handed over to the judicial authorities.
Great international cooperation
“This operation was the result of close inter-service and international cooperation,” underline the Armed Forces in the Antilles. “It notably mobilized the Maritime Analysis and Operations Center – Narcotics (MAOC-N), the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Joint InterAgency Task Force-South (IATF-S), the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, in close cooperation with the Spanish National Police authorities.
With this eighth seizure, the Armed Forces in the Antilles (FAA) removed 11 tonnes of narcotics from the distribution networks in 2023. And the year is not over yet! _AF
https://faxinfo.fr/en/narcotrafic-12-tonne-de-cocaine-saisie-a-bord-dun-voilier-au-large-de-la-martinique/
