DUNKIRK, France — French customs officers have intercepted nearly 3.9 metric tonnes of cocaine hidden inside a commercial shipping container carrying plastic waste from Ghana.

The seizure, made at the northern French port of Dunkirk, carries an estimated street value of roughly €225 million ($261 million). According to France’s specialized organized crime prosecutor’s office (JUNALCO), the illicit cargo was masked within dense bundles of scrap plastic.

Port manifests indicate the consignment was partially destined for Antwerp, Belgium—a primary European gateway frequently targeted by transnational narcotics syndicates.

The interception followed an operation led by France’s judicial police, who had been actively monitoring the criminal logistics network suspected of coordinating the transit. Investigators believe the shipment underscores a persistent pattern of international cartels routing South American cocaine through West African maritime hubs before onward distribution into Western Europe.

The seized narcotics have since been destroyed under tight security. French prosecutors have formally opened a judicial inquiry focusing on the organized importation of narcotics and participation in a criminal conspiracy—charges that carry penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment under French law.