French customs officers seized nearly 3.9 metric tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of €225 million ($261.45 million) at the northern port of Dunkirk on Thursday, the French organized crime prosecutor’s office said.
The cocaine was concealed inside a container of plastic waste arriving from Ghana. The shipment was initially destined in part for Antwerp.
The cocaine has since been destroyed and the French prosecutor has opened an investigation.
France’s judicial police targeted the criminal network alleged to be behind the shipment before the seizure.
Charges under investigation include the organised importation of narcotics and participation in a criminal association carrying penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
French customs seized 108.81 tonnes of narcotics across France in 2025, covering all drug types, with an estimated value of €2.197 billion.
