As part of the fight against international drug trafficking at sea, the Ventôse surveillance frigate intercepted 317kg of cocaine east of Martinique. This is the second seizure made in less than a week by the Armed Forces in the West Indies.
Supported by the maritime patrol aircraft of the customs coastguard service, the Ventôse surveillance frigate intervened last July 5 in the evening 430 nautical miles (about 800 kilometers) northeast of Martinique on a suspected sailboat illicit trafficking between the Caribbean and Europe.
The inspection team, reinforced by the specialized maritime intervention team (ESIM), noted the presence of suspicious bundles on board the sailboat. Merchandise discovered tested positive for cocaine.
After an in-depth search conducted jointly by Customs and the Navy, a total of 317 kg of cocaine were seized.
The two crew members, the cargo and the sailboat were brought back to Fort-de-France by the Ventôse and handed over to the OFAST Caribbean branch on July 8, 2023 under the aegis of the prosecutor's office of the specialized inter-regional jurisdiction ( JIRS) of Fort-de-France.
This operation, conducted under the direction of the prefect of Martinique, Government delegate for State action at sea, and the admiral commanding the maritime zone of the Antilles, is the result of close international and interministerial cooperation. .
This 5th seizure of the year 2023, the second in a week, brings the balance sheet of the FAA to more than 5.2 tons of narcotics withdrawn from the distribution networks (goods seized and thrown back into the sea)._AF
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