PARIS (Reuters) – Two men have been arrested after French police seized more than two tonnes of cocaine with an estimated value of 130 million euros ($134 million) at the port of Le Havre, said police on Saturday.
WHY IT MATTERS:
France and other European governments are trying to clamp down on drug trafficking gangs, and the fatal shootings that often result from inter-gang warfare.
Last year, the European Union launched a drive with European port authorities to tackle drug smuggling at major port cities.
CONTEXT:
New French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and the country’s interior minister Bruno Retailleau have also pledged tougher action against drug gangs and crime in general.
KEY QUOTE:
“We are stepping up, day by day, our war against drug trafficking, thanks to the exceptional work done by our agents,” said Retailleau on social media X, as he congratulated the French police on their operation at Le Havre.
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(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Gilles Guillaume; Editing by Toby Chopra)
