French customs authorities have seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated €225 million (about US$261.45 million) from a container of plastic waste that arrived at the northern port of Dunkirk from Ghana.
The seizure was made on Thursday, September 10, 2026, according to Reuters.
The cocaine was concealed in 167 packages inside the container, which was reportedly destined partly for Antwerp, Belgium.
France’s organised crime prosecutor’s office said the seizure followed a targeted operation by the judicial police against a criminal network suspected of being behind the shipment.
The authorities have since destroyed the cocaine, while prosecutors have opened an investigation into the shipment and the network allegedly responsible.
The investigation is focused on offences including the organised importation of narcotics and participation in a criminal association. Under French law, those offences carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
The latest seizure highlights continued efforts by European authorities to disrupt international drug trafficking networks and intercept large consignments of cocaine entering the continent.
The shipment has also raised concerns in Ghana, where opposition Member of Parliament John Ntim Fordjour has criticised a series of major international drug seizures allegedly linked to consignments originating from the country.
Mr Fordjour cited previous seizures, including methamphetamine reportedly destined for Australia and cocaine linked to Lebanon, and called for investigations into possible official complicity at ports.
The latest development is expected to add to broader scrutiny of the movement of narcotics from Ghana to Europe and the criminal networks alleged to be organising such shipments.
French authorities seized more than 108 tonnes of narcotics nationwide in 2025, according to the information provided.
The investigation into the Dunkirk shipment remains ongoing.
