Faced with what the government calls “the white tsunami”, the La Rochelle coastguard brigade monitors maritime arrivals on the water every day. Last year, 102 boats were inspected.
:quality(50)/2023/07/07/64a7df4c5fe71_placeholder-36b69ec8.png)
Published
Reading time: 2 min
:quality(50)/2024/04/27/thumbnail-img-1201-662d03f616b11677124375.jpg)
The coast guard begins their surveillance that day at La Rochelle airport, from where they take off in their helicopter. Frédéric Létuvé, the captain, quickly spotted a stranded Zodiac. “It could be someone coming to collect something that was left on the islet”like a bundle of cocaine, he explains.
According to the traffickers’ “drop-off” technique, the drug cargo, equipped with GPS chips, is thrown into the sea from a cargo ship, the mother ship, to be picked up by a small boat, the daughter boat. But this time, it’s ultimately fishermen, the captain corrects.
:quality(50)/2024/04/27/thumbnail-img-1170-662d0470bd89e222350250.jpg)
Surveillance is therefore carried out in the air, but also at sea, for the coast guard, and in particular on board La Seudrea 32-meter speedboat, to prepare for an inspection.
A needle in a haystack
The briefing is provided by customs officer Régis, who mentions “a boat that comes from Rotterdam, therefore a sensitive cargo ship in terms of narcotics.” He explains that it will be necessary ““put the emphasis on empty cabins, and possibly on the cabins of crew members who are likely to disembark in La Rochelle”, And also adds having requested the hoisting of a dog team by helicopter.
A Zodiac shot later, and the customs officers are on board, armed, with Pierre-Louis, the dog handler, who is airlifted with Joss, his labrador. “There is no reaction from the dog, so we will be able to move on to the next cabin”, explains Pierre-Louis. He and Joss search the cabins, the engine room, the cockpit, looking for a needle in a haystack on a 228 meter bulk carrier.
:quality(50)/2024/04/27/thumbnail-img-1192-662d043bef6df925677073.jpg)
Meanwhile, two divers, including Régis, inspect the hull. Particularly what we call the Sea-Chest. “These are the sea water intakes under the cargo ships which are used to cool the engines”, says Régis. “The trunks are very important, and drug traffickers use these characteristic places on the boat to hide fraudulent goods,” explains the customs officer. Ultimately, the teams will not find any suspicious merchandise.
Seizures are rare in La Rochelle. Last year, there were 102 ships inspected by the brigade, including 22 cargo ships, and only three positive checks for contraband tobacco.