The Colombian Navy has confiscated cocaine worth at least $27 million on the Pacific Ocean. The seized substance, which the military branch discovered in a submarine, weighed 1700 pounds.
By this feat, the Navy has prevented people from taking over 2 million doses of the dangerous substance that headed for the United States or Europe.
What Sort of Submarine Transports Narcotics?
A Narco-sub. But don’t be shocked. There’s a kind of submarine suitable for this kind of shady business. Such submarines have to be more discreet than the regular kind.
To ensure this, manufacturers construct these underwater ships with fiberglass or plywood. Drug dealers design these vessels to travel slightly under the water’s surface. This way, they can better evade high-tech detection.
Narco-Subs are Far From Safe
Whether on land or sea, cocaine smuggling is a risky job by all standards. The Narco-Subs contribute a significant portion of the risk. That’s because narco-subs are not manufactured in the best of conditions and with standard equipment.
“Some people die inside these machines because they experience mechanical failures or have very small ducts for letting in fresh air,” Roa said.
The Colombian Navy Has Recorded Remarkable Success
Finding Narco-subs isn’t an easy job. Drug traffickers have been painstaking in crafting these underwater ships to avoid detection. The Colombian Navy has also stepped up to the occasion to frustrate many such drug smuggling attempts.
In 2023, the Navy discovered more than 30 tons of cocaine and 5 tons of marijuana in Narco-subs. Within the first three weeks of 2024, they have seized about one ton already.
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The Drugs Came in Some Interesting Package
Drug smugglers are pretty creative with their packaging. So, people were understandably curious about the way this one was concealed. Wilmer Roa, a Colombian Navy spokesperson, gave an interesting description.
He disclosed that the cocaine came in packages that looked like bricks. The smugglers also stamped them with images of scorpions and Mexican flags.
Authorities Found Three Traffickers in the Submarine
One of the most refreshing aspects of the interception was the presence and arrest of three men who were aboard the submarine. Although the Colombian Navy didn’t talk much about it, reports say the soldiers took the men to a nearby port at Bonaventura.
Hopefully, the Navy will successfully extract valuable information from the captured men. If they do, it could lead to more important arrests and a bigger win for the war.
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Colombia is a Hotspot for Cocaine Production and Distribution
According to Roa, this was a small bust compared to the others. The Colombian government has captured bigger sizes of cocaine before. “We’ve caught submarines with almost 3,500 kilos,” Roa disclosed.
He also said the Colombian Navy had intercepted 10 such submarines last year. Every year is a busy one for the government in the war against cocaine.
Rebel Groups are Heavy on Cocaine Production
The Colombian government is in a fierce battle with rebel groups and drug trafficking gangs, who are mostly responsible for the drug trade. The groups took over the territory that former guerrilla warriors abandoned after their 2016 peace agreement with the government.
The groups control over 230,000 hectares of land from where they produce the substance. This production has also increased yearly by nearly 30%.
Columbia is the World’s Leading Producer of Cocaine
The activities of these groups have placed the country at the top of the list of cocaine producers. This recognition is an embarrassment to the government, hence their determination to eliminate the business.
Reports show that even though the Colombian government has been pretty impressive, the amount of cocaine they seize is nothing compared to how much is produced and distributed.
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The United States and Europe are the Target Markets
Colombian drug dealers have found a ready and profitable market in the United States and Europe. Most of the country’s cocaine is sent to these two destinations.
The most popular entry point of cocaine into Europe is Belgium. At the port of Antwerp, customs agents seized record amounts of cocaine in 2022 and 2023. In 2023, Belgian authorities intercepted at least 116 tons of the substance at the port.
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