The Colombian Navy seized a submarine loaded with 795 kilograms of cocaine on Sunday in the Pacific Ocean, which is the first interception of a “drug submarine” this year, officials reported. The submarine is 15 meters long and was on its way to Central America when the Colombians intercepted it, writes CBS.
The Navy released a video of the seizure operation showing an officer cutting open the packages and examining their contents. Judging from the video, many of the shipments were marked scorpion, while others were marked “Winnie” and “Carnal.”
There was cocaine worth about 27 million dollars in the submarine
Three people who operated the submarine were arrested, and the suspects and the drugs were transported to the port city of Buenaventura, Colombia. Authorities have not released information about the suspects.
In the submarine, there were dozens of packages hidden inside different compartments of the vessel, and the tests eventually showed that there were about 795 kilograms of cocaine on board, the estimated value of which is about 27 million dollars.
“Narco submarines” are popular with drug traffickers because they can potentially avoid detection by the Coast Guard or other authorities. These vessels never go completely underwater and are often caught in Colombian waters on their way to the United States (U.S.) or Europe.
Last year, the Colombians intercepted 20 “drug submarines”
The Colombian Navy said it intercepted a total of 20 semi-submarines in 2023, leading to the seizure of 30 tons of cocaine and more than five tons of marijuana.
In May 2023, the largest “narco submarine” ever recorded in Colombia was intercepted with three tons of cocaine. About two months earlier, officials seized a submarine with two dead bodies and a huge cargo of drugs off the coast of Colombia.
The Colombian Navy said it will “continue to deploy all its logistical and operational capabilities to confront drug traffickers who commit crimes in the Colombian Pacific,” reports CBS.
E.Dz.
