The French navy has intercepted nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine, valued at around $610 million (£540 million), off the coast of West Africa, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The operation was carried out on Monday by two French naval vessels under Operation Corymbe, following intelligence from maritime surveillance, anti-drug agencies, and the UK’s National Crime Agency. The drugs were discovered aboard an unflagged fishing vessel.
According to the French navy, the haul amounted to 9.6 tonnes, bringing the total quantity of narcotics seized in the region this year to 54 tonnes.
France’s Atlantic Maritime Prefecture described the bust as a “remarkable seizure” made possible through “seamless cooperation by national and international actors” in combating drug trafficking.
The Gulf of Guinea, a strategic stretch of water off West Africa, has become a hotspot for cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe. The region has also long battled maritime piracy, with France deploying Operation Corymbe since 1990 to help secure its waters.
This latest bust follows a record seizure in March 2024, when the French navy intercepted 10.7 tonnes of cocaine in what remains the largest single cocaine haul off the West African coast.
