ANKARA

A record 2.5 tons of cocaine was seized off New Caledonia from an Australia bound ship, Radio New Zealand reported on Wednesday.

The operation was conducted last week by the French Navy overseas patrol vessel, some 400 nautical miles off Noumea, with aerial support from a reconnaissance "Gardian" Falcon Jet from the French Navy, according to the public broadcaster, citing the French High Commission in New Caledonia.

It said the cocaine was found in the Panama-flagged vessel named SM Dante, which had left Peru in May and was headed to Australia.

Seven crew members including two from Portugal and five from Ecuador were arrested.

Since 2012, French authorities have intercepted six vessels transporting drugs and narcotics, mainly cocaine and the latest operation beats the previous records of 578 kg of cocaine seized in October 2017.

Last month, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in its report said Australia and New Zealand have the highest prevalence of cocaine use in the world. Australia and New Zealand also recorded the highest rates of ecstasy use worldwide.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid