Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Cocaine-smuggling submarine reveals Europe's drug crisis

Cocaine-smuggling submarine reveals Europe's drug crisis

I'm about to climb into the first "narco-sub" known to have brought cocaine from South America to Europe.

It's 20 metres (65 ft) long, built out of fibreglass and - remarkably - homemade.

After clambering on top, I lift up the wonky manhole cover and descend into the hull where three men survived for 27 long days and nights, as they voyaged across the Atlantic Ocean just under the surface of the crashing waves.

It's cramped, claustrophobic and incredibly primitive.

The sunlight tries to creep in from faint cracks in the walls. There is a steering wheel, a couple of basic dials and a rusted key still wedged in the ignition.

You can understand why one prospective skipper took one look at the vessel and concluded it was a death trap.

Three men and $150m worth of cocaine crossed the Atlantic in the tiny submersible


The heat and noise would have been intense as the engine in the back of the sub burned through the 20,000 litres of fuel stored onboard.

The crew of two Ecuadorean cousins and a former Spanish boxer set out from the Brazilian rainforest and first travelled along the Amazon river.

They had energy bars, cans of sardines and plastic bags they used for toilet facilities.

That was about all they had. Apart, of course, from three tonnes of cocaine worth more than $150m (£121m).

But this was not a lucrative, covert mission neatly accomplished.

The sub's journey in late 2019 had been tracked by law enforcement agencies, including the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA).

After scuttling their vessel near the coast of Galicia, having run into problems, the men were arrested and jailed.

The homemade submarine now sits in a car park in central Spain


This piece of history in the fight against international drug trafficking is now a trophy in the car park of the Spanish police academy in Ávila.

However, it's not a rotting relic of a bygone battle: it's a symbol of a secretly growing phenomenon.

Just last month, another sub was discovered off the Spanish coast - again in the Galicia region.

"For more than 20 years traffickers have been using submarines to reach Africa and Europe, but these two are the first we've seized," explains Antonio Martinez Duarte, Chief Commissioner of the Narco Brigade in the Spanish National Police.

"They are very hard to detect," he admits.

In fact, it's thought hundreds of homemade submarines have been launched towards Europe, which is the biggest cocaine market after the US, and one that's growing rapidly after a Covid pandemic slump.

It's even said that in the middle of the Atlantic, around the Canary Islands and the Azores, there lies a mass graveyard of cocaine submarines, deliberately sunk after their cargo had been successfully unloaded.

Each covert mission would have been a huge triumph for the teams of mechanics quietly constructing their vessels in the depths of the South American jungle, mostly in Guyana and Suriname.

Here though, in Spain today, as part of the global trafficking war, it's the police trumpeting a big victory at their headquarters in Madrid.

"This is a very important operation," says Chief Commissioner Duarte. "It's the first time in Europe that we found as much as one and a half tonnes of base cocaine paste."

In fact, officers say it was the biggest lab turning raw coca paste into cocaine that they've found on the continent. But it's not just the size of the haul which is significant.

"This operation also confirms the links between Colombian and Mexican criminals that have joined Spanish gangs working in Spain," Chief Commissioner Duarte says.

Clearly proud of their work, the police have transported the contents of the lab into a press conference room to show local journalists.

The stench of the raw coca paste - like that of vinegar - hangs in the air.

The drugs-making process has been replicated, with barrels of chemicals, a microwave, a hydraulic press and scales - reflecting the journey from paste to final product.

On a table at the far end of the room are dozens of brown parcels, each the size of a house brick, emblazoned with a Superman logo - the symbol chosen by the traffickers who no doubt felt a sense of invincibility.

The bricks of cocaine were stamped with the Superman logo


An officer leans over and whispers that importers pay €27-32,000 ($30-35,000; £24-28,000) for each parcel. They then at least double their money when they sell it on the streets.

The only limit on their profits is to what extent they dilute their drug with cutting agents, ranging from anaesthesia (which mimic physical sensations associated with cocaine, such as numbing of the mouth) to cheaper options like caffeine and glucose. But there are also other options, including de-worming medicine, normally used by vets.

This lab dismantled in the city of Pontevedra in the Galicia region was capable of producing 200 kilos a day with a purity of 95%, according to the police.

Along with the submarines, the lab is a glimpse into a narco-world which is expanding rapidly.

The United Nations drug agency says cocaine production increased by a third between 2020 and 2021, which was a record high and the biggest year-to-year increase since 2016.

One place they're witnessing first hand the surge in supply of the drug is at the port of Antwerp in Belgium.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
×