Air cocaine case: 8 years later, accused pilots acquitted of all charges

An appeals court in France on Thursday acquitted two French pilots who were found guilty of involvement in a major drugs bust in the Dominican Republic in 2013.

In what has become known as the "Air Cocaine" case, two men had been sentenced to six years in prison for attempting to smuggle 600 kilograms (1,500 pounds) of drug out of the country.

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It has long been alleged that Pascal Fauret and Bruno Odos were aware of the cocaine being carried on board, something that they continue to deny.

During the trial, a key figure who has not appealed his own conviction claimed that the two pilots were "conned".

Both pilots were freed, but the court upheld the sentences ofAli Bouchareb, the man accused of masterminding the drug trafficking ring andtheaviation company'sdirectors.

The drugs were discovered by Dominican police at theDominican beach resort of Punta Canaas a Falcon 50 jet was preparing to fly to Saint-Tropez in the south of France. The drugs were packed into 26 suitcases on board the jet.

The two pilots while out on bail, fled from the Dominican Republic under mysterious circumstances and fled to French territory in the Caribbean. They were arrested on their return to Paris after returning to the French mainland in November 2015.

(With inputs from agencies)