The French navy seizes more than 4 tons of cocaine in the Pacific and intercepts a ship with drugs in the Caribbean

The French navy seized more than four tons of cocaine from a ship in the South Pacific and also intercepted a ship smuggling cocaine in the Caribbean Sea, the country’s Armed Forces Minister said Thursday.

Catherine Vautrin wrote in

The ship in the Pacific, coming from Central America and believed to be heading to South Africa, was intercepted in French Polynesia, the country’s high commission in the island territory reported in a statement.

Its cargo was destroyed at sea, far from the Polynesian economic zone and marine protected area, officials told News.

Vautrin and the high commission published images of the operation on social media, showing an aerial view of the interception, as well as packages of the alleged drugs aboard a warship. Vautrin praised the “vigilance and professionalism of the armed forces in thwarting a globalized trafficking network.”

The prosecution did not file charges so as not to overload the local court with a drug trafficking case that was not destined for French Polynesia itself.

The high commission said the ship and its crew were released in accordance with international law.

Last month, the navy seized nearly five tons of cocaine, believed to be headed to Australia, from a fishing boat near French Polynesia.

The United Nations has said in recent years that organized crime groups trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine have expanded their presence in the Pacific.

According to the United Nations, large quantities of drugs are transported from North and South America to markets in Australia and New Zealand.

French Polynesia is located along these shipping routes and is in turn affected by significant methamphetamine consumption.

However, its small population of 280,000 prevents it from being a prime target for large-scale drug trafficking.