French Navy seized 4.87 tons of cocaine in fight against drug trafficking in the Pacific

On Friday, January 16, 2026, a French Navy vessel intercepted a suspicious ship in the maritime area of French Polynesia. The inspection carried out on board led to the discovery of 96 bales containing a total of 4.87 tons of cocaine.

This large-scale operation was initiated and coordinated by the High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia, the government delegate for law enforcement at sea. It involved significant human and material resources from the French Armed Forces in French Polynesia (FAPF), in close collaboration with the national gendarmerie and the local branch of the anti-narcotics office (OFAST).

The seized cargo, hailing from Central America, was intercepted while in transit to the Southwest Pacific. It was not intended for the territory of French Polynesia, located on a major axis of international drug trafficking. The drugs were reportedly bound for Australia.

This record-breaking seizure is a successful achievement of the new territorial counter-narcotics plan drawn up by the High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia. It embodies the strategic nature of the regional cooperation led by France with its closest partners, notably the United States and Australia, in the fight against drug trafficking.

All French State services and French Armed Forces in French Polynesia are fully mobilized in the fight against drug trafficking all over the Pacific.