The French navy has seized nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine, worth $610 million (£540 million), off the coast of West Africa, French authorities reported. The cocaine was intercepted from an unflagged fishing vessel on Monday by two French naval vessels operating under Operation Corymbe, which was initiated for maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

This substantial cocaine haul was identified following a tip-off from maritime intelligence in collaboration with anti-drug authorities and the British National Crime Agency.

The Corymbe mission has been actively deployed since 1990 to combat piracy, a significant threat in the region. In this recent operation, the French navy noted the remarkable cooperation of national and international actors, which has resulted in a total of 54 tonnes of drugs being seized in the Gulf since the beginning of the year.

This area of the Gulf of Guinea has unfortunately become a key transit point for cocaine, primarily sourced from South America, being ferried to Europe. This incident is part of a wider trend, with multiple drug busts occurring in the region recently.

Notably, a record seizure of 10.7 tonnes occurred last year, demonstrating a persistent challenge to combating drug trafficking and piracy in this strategically important maritime zone.