DAKAR, Senegal (BN24) — The French navy has seized nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine off the coast of West Africa, authorities said Tuesday, in one of the region’s largest maritime drug interceptions this year.
Acting on intelligence from French and international anti-narcotics agencies, including the British National Crime Agency, two French naval vessels intercepted an unflagged fishing boat on Monday in the Gulf of Guinea. The operation, conducted as part of France’s long-running Operation Corymbe, uncovered approximately 9.6 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of $610 million (€570 million).
French naval officials said the seizure highlights the increasing role of the Gulf of Guinea as a major transit corridor for South American cocaine en route to Europe. The French Atlantic Maritime Prefecture described the operation as a “remarkable seizure” made possible through “seamless cooperation by national and international actors.”
Since the beginning of the year, roughly 54 tonnes of drugs have been seized in the region, reflecting a surge in global trafficking activity and the strategic use of West African waters by international drug cartels.
The intercepted vessel was reportedly operating without a flag, a tactic frequently employed by traffickers to avoid detection. French authorities have not yet disclosed the number of arrests or the nationality of those aboard.
The seizure comes as the Gulf of Guinea remains a focal point for maritime security operations. While the area was previously known for piracy, once surpassing Somalia as the world’s most dangerous maritime zone, increased international naval presence has shifted focus to combating organized crime, particularly drug smuggling.
The record for the largest cocaine seizure in the region remains the 10.7 tonnes confiscated by French forces in March 2024. However, this latest bust underscores the persistent and growing challenge of intercepting narcotics in increasingly complex smuggling networks across West African waters.
Operation Corymbe has maintained a near-continuous French naval presence in the Gulf of Guinea since 1990. Its mission, initially aimed at deterring piracy, now plays a central role in joint international efforts to curtail maritime drug trafficking routes from Latin America to Europe.
French authorities reaffirmed their commitment to securing maritime trade routes and intensifying cooperation with regional and international partners in the fight against global narcotics trafficking.
