Robot dog deployed at Martinique port to combat drug trafficking: €3 million investment
Martinique's main maritime port is deploying a robot dog and new drones to fight cocaine trafficking, at a total cost of 3 million euros.
A robot dog to monitor Fort-de-France port
Martinique's main maritime port is turning to robotics to stem drug trafficking. According to la1ere.francetvinfo.fr, prefect Etienne Desplanques and Bruno Mencé, president of the port, presented on 25 September 2026 a security plan incorporating a robot dog, new drones and enhanced access conditions to the site. The total technological investment amounts to 3 million euros.
The context is concerning. Since the early 2000s, Martinique's port has become the main drug transit point in the region. In 2024, nearly 30 tonnes of cocaine were seized by the French navy off Martinique, compared with just under 2 tonnes intercepted on land — five times more than a decade ago, according to the Senate.
A scheme born from a late-2024 audit
Bruno Mencé states that the idea to acquire this robot dog emerged following an audit conducted in late 2024. For the port president, video surveillance constitutes "the best investigation and monitoring tool".
"It's the future. Previously we had cameras with an operator behind a screen and the camera always had the same angle of vision. Now we have a more elaborate system, we are much more efficient in searching and analysing," he explains.
The device can move through difficult-to-access areas and interact with all the camera networks installed at the port. "Whenever it is somewhere, it has an eye on all surveillance cameras. So if it sees something, it asks a particular camera to zoom in. These are fairly complex systems," Mencé clarifies, expressing hope that eventually they will have several of these devices.
Drones and employee awareness
In addition to the robot dog, the port is acquiring new drones capable of capturing "everything that happens, constantly," according to Mencé. Measures to strengthen port access and awareness-raising campaigns for employees on drug trafficking complete the scheme.
Prefect Desplanques emphasises that this investment is not intended for the Martinique population, but sends a direct message to traffickers: "Here, in Martinique, it will be much more risky to get cocaine through the main port, so much more costly, so move along."
Desplanques describes this deployment as the result of a year's work: "We have completely changed our universe. Now we see everything. The cameras detect the slightest anomaly." He adds that previously a ship could dock without being detected — "now that's over."
Source: Google News MQ — Crime