Swede caught with 1.4 tonnes of cocaine
A 54-year-old Swedish man is currently in custody on the Caribbean island of Martinique after French customs seized 1.4 tonnes of cocaine on his boat estimated to be worth about 800 million kronor ($109.51 million).
On June 4th, French customs seized a sailboat lying 40 nautical miles from island of Martinique in the West Indies. On the boat, customs officials found 1.4 tonnes of cocaine hidden among a number of jute sacks, Dagens Nyheter reported on Wednesday.
The cocaine seizure is the largest ever made in France. According to French customs, there are both Swedish and Spanish connections to the seizure, which was intended to be sold on the European market. The boat belongs to the man, who has been detained in Martinique since June 6th, according to DN.
"I have tried to visit the man, but so far, I have not received any permission from the authorities," said Philippe Huyghues-Despointes, Sweden's honorary consul in Fort-de-France on Martinique.
The man lives in western Sweden, has sat on a number of companies and has been previously convicted and sentenced to a short prison sentence.
"We believe that the investigation will take a long time," said the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' press director Anders Jörle.
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On June 4th, French customs seized a sailboat lying 40 nautical miles from island of Martinique in the West Indies. On the boat, customs officials found 1.4 tonnes of cocaine hidden among a number of jute sacks, Dagens Nyheter reported on Wednesday.
The cocaine seizure is the largest ever made in France. According to French customs, there are both Swedish and Spanish connections to the seizure, which was intended to be sold on the European market. The boat belongs to the man, who has been detained in Martinique since June 6th, according to DN.
"I have tried to visit the man, but so far, I have not received any permission from the authorities," said Philippe Huyghues-Despointes, Sweden's honorary consul in Fort-de-France on Martinique.
The man lives in western Sweden, has sat on a number of companies and has been previously convicted and sentenced to a short prison sentence.
"We believe that the investigation will take a long time," said the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' press director Anders Jörle.
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