Customs officers and judicial police searched a commercial vessel from Europe carrying several thousand vehicles for the Caribbean when it docked at the port of Fort-de-France on the morning of Monday 3 August 2015.[1] About twenty agents took part, including several customs detector-dog teams, and the check covered all of the more than 600 cars due for import into Martinique.[1][2] After several hours of checks the agents found thirteen “valises marocaines” — Moroccan-style hashish blocks — of about 30 kg each lying on the floor at the back of a utility van.[1][3][2]

The resin weighed 404 kilos in total and was seized immediately.[1][3][2] Customs put the market value of the shipment at more than 2.4 million euros.[1][2] Customs called it the largest cannabis resin seizure ever made in the whole of the French Antilles.[1][2] France-Antilles reported that the resin had been loaded into a new vehicle at the port of Le Havre and found at Fort-de-France, and that more than 800,000 euros in cash had also been found on passengers at the airport since July.[1] franceinfo gave the same value, more than 2.4 million euros, and attributed the record claim to customs.[4]

The operation was prepared by the OCRTIS, France’s central office against illicit drug trafficking, and the DNRED, the customs intelligence and investigation directorate, as reinforced checks on commercial freight.[1][3] On the instructions of the Fort-de-France prosecutor, the investigation, followed by the specialised interregional court (JIRS), was assigned to the OCRTIS Caribbean branch.[1] RCI reported that the drugs were in bags, almost “thrown” into the van rather than hidden, and that a tip let officers find the cargo among the 600 cars.[5] RCI also reported that the officers were helped by dogs and found the load among 600 cars after receiving intelligence.[5]

Fort-de-France prosecutor Éric Corbeaux said there had been no arrests at that stage and that investigations were under way in Martinique and in mainland France.[5] He said the traffickers used a “rip off” technique, placing the goods without the knowledge of the vehicle’s owner or of the dealer delivering the cars.[5] He added that the resin, which is not produced in the Caribbean, serves as currency in exchange for cocaine.[5] He said two kilos of resin, relatively cheap in mainland France, buy one kilo of cocaine that is then resold at retail in France at an enormous profit.[5]

The van holding the resin was a Mercedes utility vehicle.[3] In mainland France, about 8 kg of cannabis resin is needed to obtain 1 kg of cocaine.[3]