French Navy officials seized this week more than 4.6 tons of cocaine on a Brazilian tugboat intercepted in the Gulf of Guinea.
The shipment, valued at around 150 million euros, was discovered during an operation carried out as part of an international investigation with the collaboration of Brazilian and U.S. authorities.
The operation was carried out off the coast of Senegal in the early hours of last Wednesday morning following a surveillance of several days on the Brazilian vessel, reported the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture in western France.
The operation has been carried out by a combat group from the ‘Tonnerre’, a French amphibious helicopter carrier with a crew of more than 200 people. It was also supported by a Falcon 50 aircraft and two helicopters.
The Atlantic Maritime Prefecture has not provided details on the origin of the ship or its final destination. The drugs have been destroyed on board the ship itself and the crew has been released.
