- Spanish authorities in $121m submarine drugs ‘sting’
By Andrew Atkinson
A submarine with three tons of cocaine that was being tracked by police is under surveillance after a $121m successful cocaine ‘sting’.
The submarine was intercepted off the North Spanish coast – with three tons of pure cocaine seized by police.
It is believed to be the first narco submarine to cross the Atlantic Ocean with cocaine of $121 million from the 65-foot submarine.
The submarine, intercepted in the north-western region of Galicia, Spain, lead to two Ecuador members of the three-person crew arrested by police – after they scuttled it.
Two Ecuadorean nationals have been arrested, without bail. A man, reportedly Spanish, remains on the run.
The submarine was tracked across the Atlantic – from Colombia to Europe – a journey of 7,690 kilometers/4,778 nautical miles. Spanish authorities deem it the first time a submarine had been found to be used in drug trafficking in the country.
Spanish police tracked the vessel, in co-ordination with International police, who reportedly learned of the submarine’s route after it stopped off the coast of Portugal.
The submarine, valued at approximately $2.7 million, had been monitored since November 15.
The crew abandoned the submarine, which was built in Guyana and Suriname, in the Aldán inlet off the province of Pontevedra.
