Almost 3.9 metric tons of cocaine, worth an estimated €225 million (about US$261.45 million), were confiscated by French customs officials from a container of plastic garbage that arrived in Dunkirk’s northern port from Ghana.
Reuters stated that the seizure occurred on Thursday, September 10.
The cocaine was hidden inside the container, which was allegedly partially destined for Antwerp in Belgium, according to France’s organised crime prosecutor’s office.
According to French officials, the seizure was the result of a coordinated operation by the judicial police against a criminal network thought to be responsible for the cargo.
The cocaine has since been destroyed, and prosecutors have started an inquiry into the shipment and the network suspected of being responsible.
The inquiry is concentrated on offenses such as engagement in a criminal organization and the organized importation of narcotics.
Under French law, these offenses are punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
The confiscation illustrates European authorities’ ongoing attempts to thwart international drug trafficking networks and stop large quantities of cocaine from entering the continent.
It is anticipated that the latest seizure would be included in the larger investigation into the trafficking of cocaine from Ghana to France and the suspected criminal organization that arranged the shipment.
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