Alain Afflelou Cocaine Haul Alain Afflelou ... 700kg of cocaine was found on his plane. A French tycoon has discovered to his horror that his private jet was being used in an attempt to smuggle $60 million-worth of cocaine out of the Caribbean. Alain Afflelou, who owns Europe's largest chain of optician franchises, was said to be "stunned" by the discovery of 700kg of the drug on his plane before take-off. The plane had been leased to Lyon-based Transhelicopter Services and was due to fly from Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic to Yvelines airport near Paris, via the Azores. But officials on the island prevented the 12-seater aircraft, a Falcon 50, from departing after 26 suitcases containing the drug were found - some in the hold, others wedged between the seats. Photos released by the Dominican Republic's National Directorate for Drug Control portray officers showing off the haul guarded by heavily armed soldiers in balaclavas. Police said the seizure followed a seven-month investigation. Isabelle Amaraggi, Mr Afflelou's communications director, said the businessman was not on the plane at the time. "Alain Afflelou learnt the news through the press, and is stunned," she said. This plane and another smaller one managed by this company were used by Alain Afflelou and his colleagues in their line of work. When it's not being used, we rent it out, and so we have no idea who these people are who hired our plane. Our lawyers are trying to find out. Officials in the Caribbean country arrested 35 people in the raid, including soldiers, police and Dominican customs agents, who were suspected of being part of a drug-trafficking ring. Four of those arrested were French. Carlos Castillo Diaz, deputy prosecutor general for the Dominican Republic, said that the cocaine had been channelled through the VIP area of the airport and the chief of the high-security area was among those arrested. "We are going to call for prison sentences for all 35 of them," he said. Mr Afflelou's spokesman said he had written to the Lyon-based company demanding an explanation. The 64-year-old businessman sparked controversy in December when he announced that he was leaving France for London amid plans for massive tax hikes on high earners. One of France's most high-profile businessmen with an estimated fortune of $225 million, Mr Afflelou insisted he was moving to the UK to pursue business opportunities. His company currently has 1200 stores in nine countries.