Madeira: The French Navy stopped a speedboat carrying 2.4 metric tons of cocaine off the Portuguese Atlantic island of Madeira, using force to bring it to a halt, prosecutors in Brest reported on Tuesday.
According to Ghana News Agency, the value of the drugs is estimated at more than £128 million ($149 million). The operation was conducted in coordination with the United States and the United Kingdom, highlighting international cooperation in combatting drug trafficking.
Le Parisien newspaper reported that a navy frigate was involved in the operation, opening fire to disable the speedboat's engines after the occupants ignored orders to stop. The interception was a joint effort, with civil and military authorities from Portugal and Spain also playing a role. The frigate was supported by a French Navy helicopter and a customs plane.
The discovery is part of a growing trend of cocaine imports from South America into Europe through Spain, Portugal, and France. French media are increasingly referring to this surge as a 'white tsunami,' indicating the scale and frequency of such drug trafficking operations.
