France: Nearly 3.9 Tonnes of Cocaine Seized at Dunkirk Port
Paris, September French customs authorities have seized nearly 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine at the northern port of Dunkirk in one of the country’s major recent drug seizures. The shipment was estimated to have a street value of around €225 million ($261 million).
According to French authorities, the cocaine was discovered inside a shipping container carrying plastic waste from Ghana. The container was reportedly initially destined, at least in part, for the Belgian port of Antwerp.
167 Cocaine Packages Found
Customs officers from the port’s external surveillance brigade discovered 167 packages of cocaine hidden among the plastic waste. Authorities subsequently seized the entire shipment.
The national anti-organized crime prosecutor’s office opened an investigation after the seizure. Officials said the suspected criminal network behind the shipment had already been targeted by France’s judicial police.
Anti-Narcotics Investigators Take Over
The investigation has been assigned to France’s anti-narcotics office (Ofast). Investigators are working to identify the individuals and organizations allegedly involved in arranging the shipment and its intended distribution.
Authorities are examining potential offences including organized drug importation, possession and transportation of narcotics, as well as participation in a criminal association.
The seized cocaine has reportedly already been destroyed.
Ports Increasingly Targeted by Drug Networks
The seizure has also drawn attention to the growing use of maritime routes to move cocaine into France. Authorities have been particularly concerned about criminal groups attempting to avoid the country’s largest and more heavily monitored container terminals.
French authorities reported that customs services seized 108.81 tonnes of narcotics of all types in 2025, with an estimated value of almost €2.2 billion. More than 84 tonnes of cocaine were seized in France that year by investigative services, according to figures cited by French authorities.
The Dunkirk seizure is now part of a broader investigation into international drug trafficking networks operating through European maritime routes.
