Customs officers found 7.1 tonnes of cannabis packed in large bags in the boots of three hire vans parked in Paris’s upmarket 16th arrondissement.[1][2] The discovery came overnight from Saturday to Sunday, 17-18 October 2015, at the end of a weeks-long investigation by the National Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations (DNRED).[1][2]

President Francois Hollande announced the seizure on Sunday and visited the DNRED headquarters on the outskirts of Paris to congratulate the officers, calling it the biggest seizure France had seen in a long time and the largest ever in the capital.[1][2] The vans bore French number plates, and a fourth, empty van stood parked nearby.[1] The cannabis, thought to be worth at least 15 million euros, had come from Morocco and probably transited through Spain in sealed jute bags.[1]

No arrests had been made, though investigators said DNA and fingerprints found inside the vans would be used.[1]