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Major Cocaine Haul: Submarine Intercepted in Atlantic Drug Bust
In a significant blow to international drug trafficking, authorities have seized a submarine carrying 6.5 tons of cocaine in a major drug bust operation. The illicit cargo, estimated at £530 million, was intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean as the vessel traveled from Brazil towards Europe. This successful operation, a collaborative effort involving Portuguese police and the British Crime Agency, marks a notable victory in the fight against narcotics smuggling.
Record-Breaking Seizure and Arrests
The interception occurred as the smugglers attempted to traverse the Atlantic. Law enforcement officials discovered a staggering £530 million worth of cocaine concealed within the specially designed vessel.
Five individuals, believed to be key figures in a criminal organization, were apprehended on board. The crew consisted of three Brazilian nationals, one Colombian, and one Spanish citizen.
All five suspects were taken into custody and transported to Sao Miguel Island in Portugal for processing.
First Open Sea Narco-Submarine Interception
Spanish authorities have highlighted the operation’s unprecedented nature, asserting it as the first instance of a semi-submersible vessel being intercepted in open international waters while engaged in drug smuggling.
Large-Scale Drug Transportation Vessel
Intelligence suggests that the seized vessel is among the largest of its kind ever constructed for the express purpose of transporting illicit drugs across continents.
According to a statement released by Spain’s Guardia Civil, ‘The criminal network intended to retrieve the narcotics closer to the coastline using rapid speedboats for subsequent distribution ashore.’
The semi-submersible submarine was tracked down by police in the Atlantic Ocean in one of the biggest drug busts of its kind
Police found 6.5 tons of cocaine worth an estimated £530million aboard the vessel earlier this week
Five alleged members of the criminal organisation were found aboard – three Brazilian men, one Colombian and a Spaniard
Rising Trend of Transatlantic Narco-Submarines
Law enforcement agencies have noted a growing trend in the use of semi-submersible vessels for transatlantic drug shipments in recent years.
‘These types of vessels present detection challenges and often transport substantial quantities of cocaine,’ officials stated. ‘Furthermore, crews may deliberately sink the vessels upon detection to impede the recovery of drug evidence.’
Significant Blow to Organized Crime
Luis Neves, a senior Portuguese law enforcement official, emphasized the operation’s impact, stating it had ‘dealt a significant blow to a highly influential criminal organization.’
Narco-Submarines: An Overview
Criminal drug networks are increasingly employing semi-submersibles – specialized vessels designed to navigate partially submerged – to facilitate the clandestine transportation of narcotics across international waters.
Past Narco-Submarine Interceptions
The first notable interception of a narco-submarine occurred in 2019, when authorities discovered a vessel carrying 3.3 tons of cocaine off the Spanish coast. This vessel had originated in Colombia, South America, after being constructed in the Brazilian jungle and crossing the Atlantic.
Since this initial discovery, Spanish and British police forces have successfully intercepted multiple ‘narco-subs’ engaged in intercontinental drug trafficking operations.
Notably, in September 2024, Royal Navy personnel executed a boarding operation on a semi-submersible drug smuggling vessel in the Caribbean Sea, seizing £160 million worth of cocaine.
The semi-submersible in which the smugglers were travelling is thought to be one of the largest ever built to transport cocaine between continents, a Portuguese newspaper reported
Portuguese police were able to intercept the vessel with the help of the British Crime Agency after being tipped off by Spanish authorities
Criminal drug smuggling organisations are increasingly transporting drugs across continents using narco-submarines
A semi-submersible is a submarine that only partly submerges beneath the surface of the water
International Crackdown on Drug Trafficking
In another significant anti-drug smuggling operation last December, Colombian naval forces intercepted three narco-submarines involved in trafficking an estimated $12 billion worth of narcotics from South America to Australia.
This broader crackdown resulted in the seizure of 1,400 tons of drugs and the arrest of over 400 individuals, in a joint effort involving security agencies from the United States, Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands, and other nations.