Record seizure of six tonnes of cocaine in the Gulf of Guinea
The French Navy seized six tons of cocaine in the Gulf of Guinea on March 22, 2021. © CORENTIN CHARLES / AFP
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It was a record seizure made by the French Navy on Sunday March 21 off the Gulf of Guinea: in all six tons of cocaine.
The operation took place in an area that has become a hub for all kinds of trafficking.
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The freighter left Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on March 5.
It was after a two-week Atlantic crossing, and under close surveillance, that the seizure was able to take place in this
increasingly dangerous area that
is the Gulf of Guinea.
It is the Maritime Prefecture of the Atlantic which piloted the operations.
Commander Céline Tuccelli is its spokesperson: “
Six tonnes of cocaine is relatively exceptional in the Atlantic since the last major catch dates back to 2006 with 4.2 tonnes, it was in Martinique.
These six tonnes, on resale, equates to roughly one billion euros.
So, you can imagine the amount that this represents in terms of financing, parallel economy and trafficking of all kinds
”.
An important and dangerous transit zone
Every day, more than 4,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Guinea.
A sector considered to be one of the most dangerous in the world due to piracy and banditry.
It has even become a nightmare for many sailors.
For more than thirty years now, France, with the Corymbe mission, has ensured a naval permanence in this area, which also allows it to ensure the safety of its some 80,000 nationals who reside in the coastal countries of Africa. the west.
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