The Columbian navy has captured a narco-submarine packed with millions of pounds worth of scorpion cocaine. The narco-sub was 15 metres (50 feet) long was intercepted in the Pacific Ocean.
The vessel was thought to be en route to either the United States or Europe. Following the seizure, three people on board the vessel were arrested, and drugs worth an estimated £2.2 million were seized.
The confiscated haul included cocaine labelled with images of scorpions or names like “Winnie” and “Carnal.”
The Colombian Navy said: “With this seizure, the entry of nearly $27m to drug trafficking organisations was prevented, as a result of its sale in the international illegal market, as well as the distribution of approximately two million doses on the streets of the world.”
Narco-submarines are a popular method of drug transportation because they can evade detection and sink once their cargo is delivered.
These submarines are typically made of makeshift materials such as fibreglass and plywood. In 2023, the Colombian Navy seized 30 tonnes of cocaine and more than five tonnes of marijuana.
Last year the largest narco-submarine ever documented in Colombia was apprehended, transporting three tonnes of cocaine.
According to CBS News, a partner of the BBC in the United States, this submarine was about 30 metres (100 feet long) and three metres (10 feet) wide.
