The French Navy has seized over 9 tonnes of cocaine from a fishing vessel off West Africa, French authorities said on Thursday.

In a significant blow against drug trafficking, two French Navy vessels seized 9.6 tonnes of cocaine on September 22, concealed onboard a fishing vessel operating off the coast of West Africa.

“In total, 9.6 tons of cocaine with a market value of nearly 519 million euros was seized from a boat,” the Atlantic Maritime prefecture (Préfecture maritime et commandement en chef Atlantique) said, adding that the vessel was unflagged.

The operation was launched following a request from the French National Directorate of Intelligence and Customs Investigations (DNRED), acting on intelligence developed within the scope of Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics) (MAOC-N), and in close cooperation with the French Anti-Narcotics Office (OFAST) and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).

Authorities released images of the operation, showing a military helicopter and officers unloading packages of the drugs.

“The perfect cooperation between national and international actors” in the fight against narcotics had led to the “remarkable seizure,” the navy said in its release.

This case highlights the need for the sustained deployment of naval assets in the Gulf of Guinea, a region which MAOC-N has long assessed as a prominent hub for transnational organised crime groups.

To remind, MAOC (N) is an initiative by 8 EU member states (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal) and the United Kingdom, co-funded by the Internal Security Fund of the European Union. The Centre provides a forum for multi-lateral cooperation, to tackle illicit drug trafficking by sea and air.