On May 22, 2024, the surveillance frigate Ventôse made a seizure of 1,472 kg of cocaine from a ship in the Atlantic approximately 1,000 km southeast of Martinique. This is the 3rd seizure in 3 weeks of the surveillance frigate Ventôse. Since the start of the year, 14 tonnes of narcotics have been withdrawn from the distribution networks.
After detection by the Falcon 50 aircraft deployed in Guyana and relocation by the Panther on-board helicopter, the crew of the surveillance frigate Ventôse of the French Navy boarded the fishing vessel without a flag and seized 63 bales and 4 loaves of cocaine.
The crew members and the cargo were brought back to Fort-de-France by the Ventôse and handed over on May 26 to the Caribbean anti-narcotics office (OFAST) which is continuing the investigations under the direction of the prosecutor’s office of the specialized interregional jurisdiction ( JIRS) from Fort de France.
The 5 people from the crew were presented on May 30 to the JIRS prosecutor’s office and then to the investigating judge who indicted them for violations of drug legislation and criminal conspiracy. They were imprisoned and investigations are continuing.
Armed Forces in the West Indies
This is the 3rd seizure in 3 weeks of the surveillance frigate Ventôse. Since the start of the year, 8 seizures have been made by the armed forces in the Antilles, representing more than 14 tonnes of narcotics removed from the distribution networks.
“If we add to this quantity all the seizures made in a legal framework, there are more than 20 tonnes which were seized between January and May 2024 for 11 over the whole of 2023”conclude the Armed Forces in the West Indies.
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