Nine tonnes of cocaine intercepted off Martinique
A commercial vessel carrying more than nine tonnes of cocaine was intercepted off Martinique by a National Navy patrol boat. Three Colombians and a Spaniard were taken into custody.
Nine tonnes of cocaine intercepted off Martinique
The armed forces in the Caribbean have carried out a record seizure off the coast of Martinique. On board a commercial ship, military personnel discovered more than nine tonnes of white powder, concealed in 250 packages stacked in the hold. Four individuals — three Colombian nationals and a Spaniard — were taken into custody.
The operation was conducted by a National Navy patrol boat that intercepted the suspicious vessel sailing in waters surrounding the island. This seizure comes just days after the release of statistics revealing record consumption of narcotics in metropolitan France.
The Caribbean archipelago has become a preferred hub for drug trafficking networks. Previously, shipments left directly from producing countries to the United States. However, North American demand has fallen as a result of competition from synthetic substances. Criminal organisations have since redirected their flows towards the Old Continent, using Martinique as a corridor.
The quantities seized in this area continue to rise. Over the past year, authorities have recovered more than 28 tonnes of cocaine off the coast of the Caribbean, an unprecedented level.
Source: franceinfo
Source: Google News MQ — Crime