French customs authorities have seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated €225 million, or about US$261 million, at the Port of Dunkirk after the shipment arrived from Ghana.
French customs authorities have seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated €225 million (about US$261 million) at the Port of Dunkirk after the shipment arrived from Ghana.
The seizure was made on Thursday, September 10, 2026, according to France’s National Anti-Organised Crime Prosecutor’s Office and Reuters.
Cocaine hidden among plastic waste
The cocaine was concealed inside a container carrying plastic waste.
French authorities said the shipment was initially destined, at least in part, for the Belgian port of Antwerp.
French customs officers discovered approximately 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed within the consignment.
The entire quantity of cocaine has since been destroyed, while French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the shipment.
Investigation targets suspected criminal network
French judicial police had reportedly been monitoring the criminal network suspected of being behind the shipment before the seizure occurred.
The investigation includes suspected offences involving the organised importation of narcotics and participation in a criminal association.
French authorities said the offences under investigation can carry prison sentences of up to 10 years.
Ghana connection
The shipment is significant for Ghana because French authorities identified the container as having arrived from Ghana.
However, the seizure itself does not establish that the cocaine was loaded in Ghana or that Ghanaian authorities, companies or individuals participated in the trafficking operation.
Investigators are expected to examine the shipment’s origin, the exporters and intermediaries involved, its intended recipients and the wider criminal network allegedly responsible.
Possible Belgium and Netherlands links
The shipment was initially destined partly for Antwerp, Belgium.
Dutch authorities have also arrested a man in connection with the approximately 4,000-kilogramme cocaine shipment. Dutch prosecutors said the suspect was arrested in Dordrecht on September 4 and is suspected of involvement in preparations to import cocaine into the Netherlands.
Dutch media have reported possible connections to the organisation of fugitive drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, but Dutch prosecutors have not confirmed his involvement in this specific shipment.
One of France’s major recent drug seizures
French customs reported seizing 108.81 tonnes of narcotics of all types in 2025, with an estimated value of €2.197 billion.
The latest Dunkirk seizure therefore represents a major operation in France’s ongoing fight against international drug trafficking.
GhanaMedia Verification
🟢 VERIFIED — CURRENT STORY
GhanaMedia confirms that French authorities seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine valued at approximately US$261 million from a container that arrived from Ghana.
However, GhanaMedia cannot establish from the available evidence that the cocaine itself was loaded in Ghana or that Ghanaian officials, businesses or citizens were responsible for the trafficking operation.
Editorial conclusion: The seizure is real and current. The Ghana connection is confirmed at the level of the shipment’s arrival, while responsibility for the trafficking network remains under investigation.
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