According to sources from security and air force personnel, a tourist plane flying over a remote region of France was intercepted by a French fighter jet over the weekend.

The pilot of the small aircraft responded to the situation by discarding over a dozen bags suspected to contain drugs.

Upon breaching restricted airspace near a nuclear plant and exhibiting suspicious maneuvers, the single-seated tourist plane in the Ardeche region attracted the attention of one of France’s advanced fighters, the Rafale, CBS News reported.

A military spokesperson informed AFP that as the Rafale approached, the pilot observed unsettling behavior and noticeable agitation in the cockpit of the tourist plane.

Within a few minutes, the air force pilot witnessed the opening of the plane’s door and the disposal of packages from it.

Following the incident, the Polish pilot, who had a previous drug offense, was apprehended upon landing at Lanas airstrip in the Ardeche region.

The local prosecutor’s office released a statement on Tuesday confirming the arrest. Upon investigation, approximately 15 packages, suspected to contain a white powder, were discovered on the ground, weighing an estimated 66 pounds.

The substance is currently undergoing analysis. Furthermore, authorities found a sum of over 45,000 euros ($49,000) both in the cockpit of the Polish-registered aircraft and within the pilot’s bag.

Written by staff