French Navy Seizes Four Tonnes of Cocaine, Releases Smugglers
Just weeks after a major multitonne drug bust off French Polynesia, the French Navy has again seized a large cargo of cocaine from a passing vessel, the latest capture in the increasingly-active South Pacific corridor.
On February 2, French Navy forces intercepted a small tanker at an unspecified location off French Polynesia, an archipelago of 120-plus islands and atolls. The responders pursued the suspect vessel with RIB boats and conducted a boarding. Upon inspection, they found 4.2 tonnes of cocaine in 174 separate bales. According to the authorities, the drugs were likely destined for South Africa - not a leading consumer market. This voyage would have taken the vessel past Australia, where demand is thriving and prices are high.
The response team destroyed the cocaine at sea, but did not carry out any arrests. The suspects were released and allowed to continue their voyage; according to AFP, local prosecutors did not wish to burden the court system with a smuggling case that did not directly involve French Polynesia, either as the point of origin or as the destination.
????Polynésie française | Importante saisie de cocaïne en haute mer ?
???? Interception d'un navire suspect et contrôle à bord par la @MarineNationale, menant à la découverte de 174 ballots de drogue.
?? 4.24 tonnes de cocaïne saisies et poursuite du processus judiciaire par les… https://t.co/uHauPNHryspic.twitter.com/VtVhaWq8af
— Armée française - Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) February 5, 2026
The archipelago happens to be located directly between the major cocaine producing nations (Colombia and its neighbors) and two major consumer nations (Australia and New Zealand). This puts its waters on the route for the cocaine supply chain, even if French Polynesia is not itself a significant consumer.
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Just three weeks ago, French Navy assets busted another smuggling vessel in the archipelago, capturing nearly five tonnes of cocaine. The High Commission of French Polynesia reported that the small ship - an older offshore supply vessel - was bound for Australia, where each kilo fetches upwards of $100,000.
The Australian Federal Police are actively supporting these law-enforcement efforts in French Polynesia, and are working with French authorities to track down the shoreside elements of the smuggling group within Australia. The AFP has a standing task force dedicated to helping Pacific partners combat cocaine trafficking, a top priority for the Australian government, which is attempting to throttle down the supply lines for the world's biggest per-capita cocaine market.
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