“This is one of the largest seizures by the French authorities in the Mediterranean in recent years”the prefecture told AFP.
The previous record was 4.2 tonnes of cannabis resinbut in an area much further south of this sea.
“On June 15, at the beginning of the afternoon, it was first the French customs helicopter, deployed in Spain, which identified a go fast +loaded+ (with drugs)”, reported the maritime prefecture in a press release.
The fast boat was visibly stopped “waiting for unloading order”she added.
After relaying the information, a joint Franco-Spanish operation was set up, with among others a French customs patrol boat in the Mediterranean, which “brought closer discreetly”as well as three fast Spanish speedboats and a Spanish helicopter.
Bales of drugs thrown into the sea
“At the beginning of the evening, the order to intervene was given. The traffickers immediately fled, throwing the drug packages into the sea., French authorities indicated.
But “all the resources deployed in the area made it possible to recover 61 bales thrown into the sea for a total of 2.44 tonnes of cannabis pollen”according to the same source, who underlined “the excellent coordination of this large-scale Franco-Spanish system”.
The seized drugs were handed over to the Spanish authorities.
