Record Cocaine Seizure at Dunkirk Port: Nearly 10 Tons Intercepted, Cargo Valued at Half a Billion Euros

Nearly ten tons of cocaine were seized last weekend at the port of Dunkirk (Nord), according to multiple sources to H24 NEWS on Tuesday, March 4, confirming information from Actu17. This is the largest seizure ever made in mainland France.

The drugs, hidden in a container from South America, are estimated to have a retail market value of nearly 500 million euros, according to ‘ici Nord’. The seizure was carried out by customs officers, and the investigation has been entrusted to the National Jurisdiction for the Fight against Organized Crime (Junalco), confirmed the Paris prosecutor’s office.

This interception comes amid a sharp increase in cocaine seizures in France: 53.5 tons were confiscated in 2024, a 130% rise compared to 2023 (23 tons). Despite these impressive figures, experts point out that such seizures represent only a fraction of the drugs circulating in the country. The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, has described this massive wave of imports as a “white tsunami.”

As a reminder, last December, 2 tons of cocaine were already seized at the port of Le Havre, leading to the indictment of two individuals for organized drug trafficking and smuggling of goods dangerous to public health.

When contacted by H24 NEWS, customs authorities and the port of Dunkirk declined to comment on this record seizure at this stage.