Venezuela arrests four more in Air France cocaine smuggling bust

Venezuelan authorities have arrested four more people linked to a foiled attempt to smuggle 1.3 tons of cocaine into Paris from Caracas on an Air France jet last month.

French Interior Minister Manuel Valls with some of the seized cocaine AFP/Kenzo Tribouillard

Venezuela has now taken 28 people into custody since French authorities seized the shipment, believed to be worth about 200 million euros, last month.

It was the biggest drugs bust on French soil ever.

The four arrested on Friday were employees of Caracas's Maiquetia International Airport.

Those detained include eight members of Venezuela's National Guard, various airport officials and an Air France employee.

Three Italians and two Britons were also detained in France.

Earlier this month Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that police would look into whethere the US's Drug Enforcement Agency was involved in the smuggling attempt.

"The people responsible are imprisoned here in Venezuela," he said. "It's something that should not have happened. Drug trafficking has great power and this incident is being used as a political weapon to label Venezuela as a narcostate."