By RODOLPHE LAMY
Customs agents on the French territory of Martinique made a record seizure of hash at the island’s Caribbean port, officials said Thursday.
Acting on a tip, officers found bricks of hashish packed neatly in 13 boxes in the back of a van that arrived in Martinique with more than 600 other vehicles, Prosecutor Eric Corbaux said.
Officials put the value of the 404 kilograms (891 pounds) of hash at about $2.6 million. It was more than all hash seizures combined from 2012 to 2014 in Martinique and two other French overseas territories, the majority involving small amounts found on couriers at airports.
Corbaux said no arrests had been made but the investigation continued.
Authorities believe the hash was produced in Morocco.
The seizure comes just weeks after authorities in the French Caribbean seized nearly $875,000 in cash from suspected drug traffickers arriving from Paris. The most recent incident occurred on the nearby island of Guadeloupe, where officials found large bills inside a hollowed-out dictionary.
“These recent seizures reveal we are dealing with local, structured networks that are diversifying their activities,” Corbaux said.
