Narco sub seized in Spain

Last week, Spanish authorities seized a narco sub loaded with 3 tonnes of cocaine, valued at $110 million, off the northwestern coast of Galicia. Narco subs have been caught operating in the Pacific and in the Gulf of Mexico. The vessel is believed to be the first narco sub apprehended after crossing the Atlantic Ocean from South America to Europe.

It is unclear which country the vessel departed from but media reports said police suspected it to have set off from Colombia. An international operation involving police from Spain, Portugal, the U.S., the U.K. and Brazil tracked the vessel across the Atlantic.

The crew scuttled the submarine and attempted to escape as the authorities were closing in. Three crew members, all Ecuadorian nationals, were subsequently arrested while two other persons were arrested onshore in the Spanish town of Vigo. The vessel was refloated and towed to port where officials found a cargo aboard of 6,613 pounds of cocaine divided into 152 bales.  

Popular Mechanics reports that the vessel is described as 65-foot-long and built of fiberglass. The vessel has a fully enclosed wheelhouse, allowing the pilot of the ship to see outside while remaining at the waterline level. Although generically referred to as a narco sub, the craft is not designed to entirely submerge but rather to present as low a profile in the water as possible to make it difficult to spot.

Navigating the narco sub from South America to the Spanish coast must have been a challenge. If the vessel left from Columbia, as reported, the distance to Spain is close to 4,000 nautical miles, crossing several busy shipping lanes.