PARIS: Officials say the haul, found in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, was the result of a weeks-long investigation
French customs officials have seized seven tonnes of cannabis with a street value of €20 million euros (£15 million pounds) in the back of three vans parked on a boulevard in the chic 16th arrondissement of Paris.
President François Hollande went to the headquarters of the customs investigations unit in the Paris suburbs to personally congratulate the agents involved in the operation, saying that the haul was one of the biggest ever made in the capital.
The haul came just two days after a new law went into force that lets cannabis users pay an on-the-spot fine if caught with the drug instead of facing a court appearance.
French President Francois Hollande (C), beside French Finance Minister Michel Sapin (R), speaks to journalists at the headquarters of the National Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations (DNRED), near Paris, after more than seven tons of cannabis were seized in three vehicles parked in an upmarket area of Paris. Photo: AFP
No arrests were made when officers found the drugs in the boots of the utility vehicles in so-called “Moroccan suitcases” – jute bags lined with plastic each containing resin blocks of around 25 kilos (55 pounds).
