The amount of cocaine seized by French authorities has surpassed last year’s record with a total of “more than 70 tons in September”, the head of the anti-narcotics office (Ofast) announced on Thursday.
Speaking on Radio Caraibes (RCI), Dimitri Zoulas, who was traveling in Martinique, recalled that in 2024, all the police services, the gendarmerie but also the navy had confiscated “54 tons of cocaine”, an increase of “130%” compared to the previous year when it had reached a record of “23 tons”. “In 2025 we hope there will be a break, not at all. In September there were more than 70 tonnes,” he said.
The Ofast director said that “around half (of this number), even more, transit through the Caribbean zone before being intercepted elsewhere”.
Dimitri Zoulas believes that “global cocaine production currently reaches 4,000 tonnes”. “He broke all records. Since the product became available, it has been exported from production areas, especially Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, to all corners and of course to the Antilles,” he continued. With “abundant production”, he noted “the multiplication of networks capable of bringing in large quantities of production” and the consequent record seizures made by the authorities.
(4/4) The murder of the Renault CEO: the bloody epic of the Action Directe group
Crime story tells major criminal cases every week.
When asked about American attacks on Venezuelan ships in particular, which are suspected of taking part in drug trafficking, Dimitri Zoulas observed that “drug trafficking is part of global geopolitics”.
However, he added, “in the current situation, no European country and France will send operational intelligence to the Americans if they can launch a military attack on the ship.” “The question does not arise,” he said, before continuing: “but if the question did arise, we would not send any information.” “This is Europe’s position,” he stressed.
But the Ofast boss stressed that “Americans are not everywhere”. “For now, they are alert and carrying out attacks on ships bound for the United States.” “These ships are of little concern to us, our area of action is geographically different.”
Since September, the United States has launched a series of attacks in the Caribbean and Pacific on ships accused of transporting drugs, killing a total of 76 people.
