138 bales of cocaine seized from a fishing boat displayed on the dock.
FORT DE FRANCE--On Sunday, December 14, a French Navy vessel intercepted a fishing boat sailing without a flag in the Atlantic Ocean.
Acting under the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the inspection team boarded the fishing vessel in particularly difficult sea conditions and found numerous suspicious bales on board.
During the inspection, the captain presented documents indicating that his vessel was registered in the Polish maritime register. At the same time, Greece informed France that the vessel was sailing under the Greek flag.
With the agreement of the Greek and Polish authorities, the French Navy inspection team searched the vessel and discovered 138 bales of cocaine on board, weighing a total of more than 4,200 kilos.
The individuals were arrested and the vessel and illegal cargo were taken to Fort-de-France in accordance with French legal procedures for combating drug trafficking. The judicial investigation was entrusted to the Caribbean Anti-Drug Office OFAST.
OFAST, under the direction of the prosecutor's office of the specialised interregional court of Fort-de-France, worked closely with the Greek police and judicial authorities and the international operational cooperation department of the national judicial police directorate to coordinate the French and Greek proceedings with a view to preserving evidence and ensuring the effectiveness and consistency of the judicial response.
Across the Atlantic, this coordination between the French and Greek authorities led to the arrest of five members of a structured criminal organisation involved in cocaine importation, including the head of the network.
This case illustrates the important role played by the State services involved in this issue in the Antilles in the fight against drug trafficking at European level.
The major operation, led by the admiral commanding the Antilles maritime zone, under the direction of the Préfet of Martinique, the Government's delegate for State Action at Sea, benefited from very close international and inter-agency cooperation.
This latest intervention brings the total weight of narcotics seized this year by the French Navy in the Antilles maritime zone to more than 35.7 tonnes.
Throughout the year, the Armed Forces of the Antilles conduct operations to combat international drug trafficking on the high seas, contributing to regional stability and the protection of populations.
