RECORD COKE HAUL IN FRANCE

The cocaine found on an Air France flight that originated in Caracas, Venezuela had a street value of $256.5 million

This case had to involve an awful lot of suitcases.

THREE BRITONS ARRESTED AFTER 1.3 TONS OF COCAINE IS FOUND IN SUITCASES ON AIR FRANCE FLIGHT FROM VENEZUELA TO PARIS
Three British men and three Italians were arrested in Paris, and three Police National Guard officers also arrested in Caracas, Venezuela

By Ian Sparks

Mail Online
September 23, 2013

Three Britons are among nine people arrested over a record seizure of 1.3 tons of cocaine found on board an Air France flight from Venezuela to Paris.

The haul - with a street value of up to $256.5 million - was found stashed in suitcases when the plane landed at Charles de Gaulle airport.

The luggage had been registered under false names that did not correspond to passengers on the flight, French police sources revealed.

Three unnamed British men and three Italians were arrested in Paris, while three Police National Guard officers were arrested in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, prosecutors in Paris said.

French officials said the seizure was made earlier this month but details could not be released until this weekend for 'operational reasons'. Police in Venezuela told their own media the bust happened on September 20.

French interior minister Manuel Valls told French reporters: 'This marks the biggest seizure of cocaine ever made in mainland France as part of a judicial investigation.'

Air France said an investigation had been launched to discover how the drugs were smuggled on board their plane in Caracas.

The airline said in a statement: 'Pending the results of these investigations, immediate measures have been taken to enhance our checks of baggage and goods on departure from certain sensitive destinations.'

In the US, The White House said in an annual report this month that Venezuela, Bolivia and Burma had not made a great enough effort to tackle global narcotics smuggling.

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro branded the criticism a 'politically motivated smear campaign' and said anti-narcotics cooperation had improved since 2005.