Submarine Fleet Carrying Tons of Drugs Seized in International Operation

(CLO) On November 27, Colombian authorities said six "narco-submarines" were seized in an international anti-drug operation led by the Latin American country, as part of a large-scale global crackdown.

According to Vice Admiral Orlando Enrique Grisales, chief of naval operations of the Colombian Navy, the operation, which involved 62 countries, seized a total of more than 1,400 tons of drugs, mainly marijuana, from October 1 to November 14.

He said the seized goods included 225 tonnes of cocaine, five tonnes of which were found on a semi-submersible vessel travelling by sea from Colombia to Australia.

Cocaine seized during a recent drug bust. Photo: Fuerzas Militare de Colombia

Grisales told reporters that the ship was intercepted in the Pacific Ocean with enough fuel to reach Australia. This is the third “drug submarine” intercepted on this route.

"The first one was discovered in Colombian waters, and thanks to the map it carried, we were able to determine the route. That's when we started working with the Australian authorities," he added.

In recent years, Australian police have warned that international drug gangs are increasingly targeting the country, where rising cocaine use and the world's highest street prices fuel a lucrative illicit market.

This is not the first time a “narco submarine” has been seized by authorities. Smugglers began using the vessels in the late 1990s as Colombian cartels sought to evade US law enforcement patrols in the Caribbean Sea to transport illicit goods into the United States.

The seizure of 225 tons of cocaine is a huge haul. In a report this year, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated that global cocaine production would reach a record high of 2,700 tons by 2022.

Ngoc Anh (according to CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/doi-tau-ngam-cho-hang-tan-ma-tuy-bi-bat-giu-trong-chien-dich-quoc-te-post323320.html