The French anti-narcotics office had received some good tips from its Brazilian, American and British counterparts. On Saturday November 4, the French authorities sent the amphibious helicopter carrier Mistral of the French Navy for an intervention on a small fishing boat which was sailing off the coast of West Africa. On board the yellow ship, the French sailors did not find many fish but several packets of white powder. According to the Atlantic maritime prefecture, 885 kg of cocaine were seized on board the boat.
The merchandise was destroyed
15 meters long, the boat had left the coast of Paraguay a few days earlier. “The maritime route taken could foreshadow the arrival of cocaine in Europe,” the French navy said in a press release. Three helicopters and a drone, all on board the Mistral, were deployed to carry out the mission. Transhipped onto the imposing French ship, the cocaine was destroyed. In September, 2.4 tons of cocaine had already been seized by the Navy off the African coast.
Engaged since August in Operation Corymbe, the Mistral has the mission to “contribute to maritime security and fight against illicit activities in the Gulf of Guinea” in conjunction with African partners, recalls Prémar. This anti-drug raid was carried out based on article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This text allows a nation to intervene without seeking the agreement of the flag State “if it has serious reasons to suspect that this vessel is engaged in piracy”.