Overview
- The intercepted vessel from Central America carried 174 bales of cocaine weighing 4.249 tonnes, according to the Haut-commissariat.
- The narcotics were destroyed at sea outside the Polynesian exclusive economic zone and its marine protected area, the military said.
- In line with international practice and on the Papeete prosecutor’s decision, the ship and crew were released with no French charges.
- Officials said the ship declared South Africa as its destination, and regional policing targets flows toward markets such as Australia.
- The operation follows a mid-January seizure of about 4.87 tonnes, with that vessel under 24/7 surveillance in the Cook Islands as multinational tracking continues.