The prosecutor in New Caledonia has asked the appeal court to uphold the jail sentences of three men convicted of smuggling 578 kilogrammes of cocaine on board their yacht.
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The trio was convicted in January but an appeal was heard yesterday.
The captain, who is a 69-year old from the Netherlands, was jailed for seven years.
The other two, a 54-year-old from Peru and a 39-year-old from Poland, were each given six year jail terms.
The street value of the drugs was estimated to be about $US450 million.
At the appeal, the captain reportedly claimed that he believed the concealed cargo was arms from Colombian FARC rebels.
A verdict of the appeal court is expected on 5 June.
The yacht had raised suspicions last October en route to Australia after reporting engine troubles to New Caledonian rescue services.
However, it failed to arrive and was subsequently intercepted by the French navy.
The defence unsuccessfully argued in the criminal court in Noumea that the navy had no right to search the yacht on the high seas.
