Five In Custody In Martinique After Cocaine Bust At Sea

Five people are in custody in Martinique after the crew of the French Navy vessel Ventôse seized 1, 472 tonnes of cocaine from a ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The seizure on May 22 was the third by the Ventôse in as many weeks and occurred about 1,000 kilometres southeast of Martinique. The Ventôse crew boarded an unflagged fishing vessel, which aircraft had located and confiscated 63 bales and four bars of cocaine. The French law enforcement authorities arrested the five crew members on board and took them and the illegal cargo to the Martinique capital, Fort-de-France. Indicted on drug trafficking charges on Thursday, the defendants are in prison while investigations continue. On May 15, the Ventôse crew seized 2.4 tonnes of cocaine from a Venezuelan fishing vessel. In partnership with other law enforcement agencies, the seizure occurred 820 miles northeast of Martinique. PHOTO: Courtesy Force Armées aux Antilles The article Five In Custody In Martinique After Cocaine Bust At Sea is from St. Lucia Times.