The French navy has made a massive drug bust off the coast of West Africa, intercepting nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine valued at about $610 million. The operation, which took place on Monday, was carried out under Operation Corymbe after a coordinated tip-off from French maritime authorities, international drug agencies, and the UK’s National Crime Agency.
According to officials, two French naval ships stopped an unflagged fishing vessel suspected of trafficking narcotics. A search of the boat uncovered 9.6 tonnes of cocaine carefully concealed onboard. France’s Atlantic Maritime Prefecture described the seizure as “remarkable” and praised the seamless cooperation between local and international partners.
This latest interception highlights the growing role of the Gulf of Guinea as a key transit corridor for South American cocaine headed for Europe. Once infamous for piracy, the region has now become a hotspot in the global fight against drug smuggling. Naval patrols by France and other Western countries have been active there for decades to strengthen maritime security.
The operation is part of France’s long-running Operation Corymbe, which began in 1990 to deter piracy and disrupt trafficking networks. It comes just over a year after the French navy made its largest-ever drug seizure in the area — a record 10.7 tonnes of cocaine in March 2024.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the origin of the fishing vessel and the criminal network behind the shipment. Officials say the bust brings the total of confiscated drugs in the Gulf of Guinea this year alone to 54 tonnes, underlining the scale of trafficking in the region.
