Authorities in French Polynesia are claiming another "historic" drug haul with a street value of nearly $383 million.
The drug bust took place in mid-July in Nuku Hiva, or the Marquesas Islands, about 900 miles north of Tahiti. It was on board a sailboat travelling from Mexico and believed to be headed to Australia via Tonga.
The seized yacht was brought to Tahiti's capital of Papeʻetē, where it was completely searched and dismantled.
This resulted in the discovery of 3,600 pounds of cocaine and 512 pounds of methamphetamines. In addition to the narcotics, semi-automatic pistols and ammunition magazines were also found.
The three men onboard, a German skipper and two Dutch nationals, remain in custody.
French Polynesia, as well as other Pacific countries and territories including Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga, has been identified as a major transit point for drugs from North and South America to major markets such as Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
In the other direction, labs in Southeast Asia are also using Pacific Islands such as Palau or Papua New Guinea as transit points to ship opium-based drugs and methamphetamines to the U.S. market.
