French authorities said on Feb 14 that they had seized 2.4 tons of cocaine from a vessel in French Polynesia’s maritime zone.
The seizure of 100 bales of cocaine took place on Feb 12, and the vessel was allowed to continue on to its destination, which officials did not specify.
“In accordance with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Papeete and international legal practices, the vessel and its crew were allowed to resume their route,” the high commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia said in a statement.
It added that the drug cargo, which was not intended for French Polynesia, was destroyed.
The flag state of the intercepted vessel did not wish to relinquish its jurisdiction to France. The statement did not specify the ship’s flag or point of origin.
This operation, similar to those carried out since the beginning of the year and which have already led to a record seizure of more than 9 tons of cocaine at sea, was led by the High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia, acting as the government’s delegate for maritime state action.
The operation involved significant human and material resources from the French armed forces in French Polynesia, in close coordination with the National Gendarmerie, and the French anti-drug office and the cooperation of US government agencies.
Since the beginning of the year, French authorities seized at sea in total 11.5 tons of narcotics.
