French authorities from New Caledonia intercepted a yacht off Tongan waters on  July 27, seizing what is said to be the largest-ever drugs haul in the South Pacific, according to French media reports today.

The yacht named as L'Alfina, was carrying a reported 1.4 tons of white powder in its bowels and had been tracked by special services from French Polynesia along a route known to be used by cocaine traffickers though the Pacific Islands. It was allegedly carrying drugs from Panama to Australia.

L'Alfina, an Atlantic 55, 16-meter monohull, was flying the flag of Gibralatar. The crew of four Lithuanian and Latvian seamen were taken into custody by the Gendarmerie de Noumea.

According to a news report from New Caledonian media the behaviour of the crew of the L'Alfina had attracted attention at the end of June near an isolated atoll of the Tuamotus. The boat had sailed non-stop from the Panama Canal and had announced plans to proceed directly to Australia. The French customs followed its route.

It was reported that the interception took place after the National Directorate of Intelligence and Customs Investigations informed the High Commissioner of Polynesia that one of the crew members had previously been suspected of having engaged in drug trafficking. The High Commissioner asked the British government for permission to control the boat on the high seas, but it had already left Polynesian jurisdiction. The yacht was then intercepted on 27 July "on the high seas off Tonga" by the New Caledonian Navy.

The value of the goods for resale in Australian has been estimated at over 12 billion francs. It is suspected to be the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in the South Pacific.

Special armed intervention units of the French Navy on board the Vendémiaire, a surveillance frigate, carried out the seizure and brought the cargo to Noumea on August 1. Armed units transferred the cargo to a secret location for disposal.

The exact location of the seizure off Tongan waters has not been revealed.