We are not far from a record seizure. On Wednesday, more than 4.7 tons of cocaine were discovered by the French navy on board a freighter flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, we learned from the maritime prefecture of the Atlantic. The operation, conducted under the direction of the public prosecutor of Brest, was carried out off the African coast, north of the equator.
It’s the high seas patrol boat Chief Petty Officer L’Her, supported by the French Navy’s Falcon 50 and the Navy’s on-board aerial mini-drone system, which carried out the seizure. The drug shipment was transferred to the French military ship to be destroyed there.
Six tons discovered in 2021 aboard a freighter
This high seas patrol boat “has been engaged since the end of January in Operation Corymbe to contribute to maritime security and fight against illicit activities in the Gulf of Guinea in conjunction with our African and European partners”, specifies the maritime prefecture.
On March 21, 2021, the national navy had already seized more than six tonnes of cocaine on board a cargo ship also registered in this small Caribbean island, considered a tax haven and which regularly serves as a flag of convenience.