‘Narco sub’ caught carrying £520million of cocaine in ‘largest ever’ seizure
A semi-submersible vessel was intercepted by Portuguese authorities on Sunday. The ‘fragile’ narco-sub partially sank upon interception before nine tonnes of cocaine were found on board
The record seizure was made on Sunday(Image: PORTUGUESE POLICE/AFP via Getty)
The largest ever stash of cocaine found on a submarine has been seized by Portuguese cops. Almost nine tonnes of the drug was found on board the semi-submersible vessel in the Atlantic on Sunday.
The so-called “narco-sub” was intercepted 260 miles south of the Azores as part of the operation codenamed Adam-astor – a creature in Portuguese mythology. An intelligence-led investigation co-ordinated by the the Polícia Judiciária and involving the navy and the air force preceded the historic seizure.
The navy described the vessel as “of fragile construction” and partially sank after it was intercepted. The “narco-sub” was understood to have been at sea for 86 hours before Portuguese authorities caught it.
Four crew members – three Colombians and a Venezuelan – have been detained in connection to the seizure and will be presented to the judicial authorities. The drugs-filled vessel was on its way to Europe, according to officials who did not specify it’s intended destination.
A press release read: “Inside the vessel, which originated in Latin America and was crewed by four foreign nationals, 300 bales of cocaine were being transported. The interception of the semi-submersible occurred in the open sea, approximately 230 nautical miles from the Azores, under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions due to the current adverse weather conditions.”
It is understood 35 bales of cocaine were lost when the vessel partially collapsed during the interception. Estimates put the weight of the total seizure to be nine tonnes which is worth approximately £520million.
Last July, UK Border Force officials seized 2.4 tonnes of cocaine with a value of around £100 million, in one of the largest drug busts in recent years. The colossal stash was discovered beneath containers on a ship docking at London Gateway port from Panama, according to a Home Office spokesperson.
The shipment was flagged earlier this month as part of an intelligence-led operation. Assisted by the port operator, officers shifted 37 large containers to access the hidden drugs. Worth an estimated £96 million, it marks the sixth-largest cocaine seizure since records began.
Minister for migration and citizenship Seema Malhotra said: “Drugs gangs trying to import illegal substances into the UK are a blight on society and we will leave no stone left unturned in our pursuit of organised crime gangs inflicting addiction, misery and death upon Britain’s communities.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
