Overview
- A French Navy vessel intercepted a Central American ship in French Polynesia, seized 4.24 tonnes of cocaine, and destroyed the drugs at sea outside local zones.
- Authorities believe the Pacific shipment was headed for South Africa, prosecutors filed no local charges, and the vessel and crew were released under international law.
- In a separate case, a boat carrying 678 kilograms of cocaine in the Caribbean was intercepted and transferred to Barbadian authorities.
- Local officials credited intelligence from French and New Zealand customs for guiding the Pacific interdiction.
- The actions follow a near five‑tonne seizure near French Polynesia last month and reflect U.N. reporting on expanding trafficking routes toward Australia and New Zealand.