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Narco submarine caught en route to Australia with 1,400 tons of drugs
In a wide-ranging international operation, a "narco sub" en route to Australia was seized with 225 tonnes of cocaine. The operation, which involved 62 countries, resulted in the seizure of over 1,400 tonnes of drugs.
Narco submarine caught en route to Australia with 1,400 tons of drugs
In a Colombia-led international anti-drug operation, six so-called “narco subs” loaded with cocaine were seized. The authorities in Colombia announced this on Wednesday, heralding a massive global strike against drug trafficking.
Large-scale international drug operation
The mission, involving 62 countries, seized over 1,400 metric tons of drugs - mostly marijuana - between October 1 and November 14. Vice Admiral Orlando Enrique Grisales, chief of the Colombian Navy's naval operations team, reported these impressive figures.
Important drug discovery at sea
The seized material also included 225 metric tons of cocaine. Five tons of it were discovered on board a semi-submersible vehicle traveling on a maritime smuggling route from Colombia to Australia. The ship was intercepted in the waters of the Pacific and had enough fuel to reach Australia. Grisales informed the press that this was the third “narco sub” intercepted on this route.
Collaboration with Australian authorities
"The first one was discovered in Colombian waters and thanks to the maps it carried we were able to identify the route. So we started working with the Australian authorities," Grisales added.
Outlook on the drug problem in Australia
Australian police declined to comment on the drug discovery when contacted by CNN. In recent years, however, Australian authorities have warned that international drug cartels are increasingly targeting the country. The rise in cocaine use in Australia, combined with some of the highest street prices in the world, has created a lucrative illegal market.
History of Narco Subs
This is not the first time that “narco subs” have been seized by authorities. Traffickers began using these vessels in the late 1990s, as Colombian cartels sought ways to evade U.S. law enforcement in the Caribbean and transport their illicit goods to the United States.
Global drug production at record high
The seizure of 225 tons of cocaine is an enormous success. In a report this year, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime estimated that global cocaine production rose to a record 2,700 tons in 2022.