Submarine with 1.7 tons of cocaine intercepted in the Atlantic by the Portuguese authorities: four South Americans were arrested
A submarine used for drug trafficking, loaded with approximately 1.7 tons of cocaine, was intercepted by Portuguese authorities in the Atlantic, approximately 1,000 nautical miles off the coast of Lisbon.
The submarine was intercepted in the Atlantic PHOTO: X
Four crew members – two Ecuadorians, a Venezuelan and a Colombian – were detained and placed in pre-trial detention, according to the police, the BBC writes.
Vítor Ananias, head of Portugal's drug-trafficking unit, explained that the different nationalities of the suspects showed that the criminal organization behind the operation was not concentrated in one country.
The operation was coordinated by the Maritime Operations and Analysis Center (MAOC) in Lisbon, with support from the UK's National Crime Agency and the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
The intercepted ship could not be brought into port due to bad weather and fragile construction, subsequently sinking at sea.
“With the heat, the ship's fumes and the big waves, even a day is difficult for the four men on board. After 15–20 days, all you want is to get out of there,” said Vítor Ananias.
Such incidents are not isolated, writes the quoted source. In March, a similar vessel carrying 6.5 tons of cocaine was seized about 1,200 nautical miles from Lisbon.
