France customs seize 800kg of cocaine from truck
AFP | Paris, France
French customs authorities have seized over 800 kilograms of cocaine from a truck at a highway rest area in southeastern France, a source close to the case confirmed on Sunday.
The 826-kilogram haul was intercepted on Saturday near the autoroute leading to Lyon, with officers arresting the truck's Polish driver. The estimated street value of the seized cocaine is approximately €24 million ($26 million), based on a wholesale price of €30,000 (over $32,000) per kilogram. A gram typically sells for around €58 ($63).
France has seen a significant rise in drug seizures, with customs authorities confiscating 53.5 tonnes of cocaine last year—more than double the amount seized in the previous year.
Cocaine consumption in France has also surged. According to the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT), 1.1 million people used cocaine at least once in 2023, nearly double the 600,000 reported in 2022. These figures place France as the seventh-highest consumer of cocaine in Europe.
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