The French Navy seized 4.249 tonnes of cocaine from a ship intercepted in French Polynesia, local authorities announced on Wednesday, confirming earlier reports by local broadcaster TNTV.
Authorities said the vessel had departed from Central America and carried 174 packages of cocaine. The ship declared South Africa as its destination.
French armed forces told AFP that authorities destroyed the drugs at sea, outside French Polynesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and beyond its protected marine area.
Local officials said prosecutors in Papeete agreed to allow the ship and its crew to continue their voyage, in line with international law and established procedures.
The public prosecutor’s office chose not to pursue charges to avoid overwhelming the Papeete court, as the narcotics were not destined for French Polynesia.
Authorities applied the same approach in mid-January, when they seized 4.87 tonnes of cocaine from another vessel. Officials said that ship is now in the Cook Islands for repairs and remains under 24-hour surveillance.
Authorities tracked both intercepted vessels using satellite monitoring and said other Pacific countries may still pursue criminal proceedings.
Police and customs services across the region continue to co-operate to curb drug trafficking from Latin America to high-consumption markets, including Australia.
French Polynesia sits along major maritime drug routes and also faces widespread methamphetamine use. However, officials noted the territory’s small population of around 280,000 has so far avoided becoming a large-scale trafficking target.
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