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Drug trafficking: the French Navy seizes ten tonnes of cocaine in the Gulf of Guinea
Drug trafficking: the French Navy seizes ten tonnes of cocaine in the Gulf of Guinea
(FRANCEINFO)
On Thursday March 14, ten tons of cocaine were intercepted by the French Navy on board a fishing boat in the Gulf of Guinea, off the West African coast. This is a record seizure for the French authorities.
Ten tonnes of cocaine were seized on board a rustic fishing boat, flying the Brazilian flag, on Thursday March 14. “This is a record seizure. Each action means less cocaine circulating in Europe”, commented the frigate captain of the maritime prefect, Alban Simon. The operation took place in the Gulf of Guinea, off the West African coast. The French Navy tracks down drug traffickers’ goods there. The area, seven times the size of France, is bordered by 14 countries.
“A gray and lawless area”
Transported from the places of production, the drug travels by boat to the African coasts then heads towards northern Europe. “The Gulf of Guinea has become a gray and lawless zone. There are already many pirates, but especially within the states bordering the Gulf, there is unfortunately a very high rate of corruption among the forces of the Gulf. ‘order”, analyzes Bertrand Monnet, professor at EDHEC and specialist in criminal economics. In 2023, the French Navy seized more than 33 tonnes of drugs worldwide, the equivalent of 775 million euros.
