A French Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel seizes over 5 tons of cocaine off the coast of Africa
On Wednesday December 6, 2023, under the direction of the Préfet Maritime de l’Atlantique and the Procureur de la République de Brest, an Offshore Patrol Vessel seized more than 5 tonnes of cocaine in the Gulf of Guinea.
OFAST and DNRED had requested the intervention of the French Navy, in the light of information transmitted by their partners at the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics) (MAOC-N), the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and intelligence held by DNRED.
Supported by a SMDM (Système de mini-drones aériens embarqués pour la Marine) maritime surveillance drone, the visiting team from the French Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel took action in the early afternoon of Wednesday December 06, 2023, on a fifteen-meter Go Fast RIB.
Conducted in the Gulf of Guinea, off the African coast, the operation was initiated on the basis of Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Montego Bay), and ended with the discovery of narcotics.
A total of 5132 kg of cocaine, with a market value in France estimated at over 330 million euros[i], was seized on board the boat, then transferred to the Offshore Patrol Vessel for destruction.
The tools of international judicial cooperation immediately deployed by the Brest public prosecutor’s office enabled the Madrid anti-drug prosecutor’s office to be contacted, and the four suspected drug traffickers to be arrested by the Cape Verde authorities.
This exceptional result was achieved thanks to the perfect cooperation between national and international players in the fight against drugs. It illustrates the effectiveness of French government action at sea in protecting external borders and combating organized crime.
As part of Operation Corymbe, the French Navy deploys one or two French vessels supported by a maritime patrol aircraft in the Gulf of Guinea on an almost permanent basis. This complements France’s presence in West Africa by participating in the maritime component of operational cooperation. Through its presence in the area, France is contributing to the development of the maritime security architecture resulting from the Yaoundé process. This deployment is also in line with the concept of a coordinated maritime presence promoted by the European Union.
[i] Estimate based on UNODC’s Global Cocaine Report 2023.
Préfecture maritime de l’Atlantique
