On the 15th of August, a maritime operation conducted by the French Forces in the Caribbean led to the record seizure of 10.5 tonnes of cocaine found on board a fishing vessel.
Information had been shared through MAOC-N that a fishing vessel was sailing off the Caribbean loaded with a significant amount of cocaine, possibly bound for Europe. The French Navy in the Caribbean deployed the patrol vessel “La Confiance” which was able to intercept the target approximately 660nm off Martinique, finding 300 bales that tested positive for cocaine.
The crew was composed of six Brazilians, two Colombians and one Venezuelan who were arrested and handed over to the competent authorities in Fort-de-France, Martinique.
This staggering seizure is the result of extensive cooperation and information sharing carried out within the framework of MAOC-N, between the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), the US Drugs Enforcement Administration (DEA), the French Navy and the French anti-drugs office (OFAST).
So far this year, the MAOC-N partner countries have been able to seize 51 tonnes of cocaine in operations supported by the Centre.
