Recently, French customs officers seized the largest-ever shipment of contraband tobacco in New Caledonia, equivalent to a year's worth of regional consumption in the French overseas territories.

Last Wednesday, the Noumea customs brigade boarded and searched the Tanzanian-flagged bulk carrier Kokoo, where they found five containers filled with 76 tonnes of contraband cigarettes in one of the ship's holds.

Customs officers also found two speedboats hidden on board, each equipped with four 300-horsepower outboards, a powerful device typical of smuggling activities. The bulk carrier also carried a 10,000-litre tank of petrol to supply the speedboats, which would not have been necessary if the small speedboats were only part of the cargo.

Customs officers suspected that the bulk carrier Kokoo was a ‘mother ship’ that used speedboats to bring illegal cigarettes ashore. The Australian Border Force, which assisted in the operation, said the scale and sophistication of the scheme suggested organised crime.

The captain was arrested and brought before the Noumea Criminal Court, which sentenced him to 10 months' suspended imprisonment, a fine of $350,000 and the confiscation of the entire cigarette cargo and the speedboat. The value of the confiscated tobacco on the legal market is estimated to be approximately $35 million.

Based on the brand markings on the packets, Food Standards Australia believes the cigarettes were intended for the Australian market.

The investigation began earlier. The Australian Border Force (ABF) tracked and monitored the Kokoo as it approached the Australian coast and loitered nearby, then notified New Caledonian authorities when the vessel changed course. The ship was tracked in advance by French armed forces and intelligence units in New Caledonia, and boarding was facilitated by the Noumea Port Authority.