First "narcosubmarine" detected in Europe intercepted on Galician coast
Operation of the Tax Agency, Civil Guard and National Police
- There are two people of Ecuadorian nationality detained and a third is being sought
- It was transporting three tons of cocaine in 152 bales whose origin is still being investigated.
November 27, 2019 .- The Tax Agency, the Civil Guard and the National Police have already refloated the submarine intercepted last Saturday with 3,000 kilos of cocaine a few miles from the beach of Hío , in the Morrazo region (Pontevedra). Once the count was completed last morning, a total of 152 bales were seized. The submersible, from which they intended to transfer the drugs to another vessel, is already in the port of Aldán, in Cangas (Pontevedra), where the drugs have been extracted from inside the device.
It is the first “narco-submarine” detected on the European continent. In the operation, two people - of Ecuadorian nationality - have been arrested and a third is on the run and whose whereabouts are still unknown.
The investigations began when the Maritime Analysis and Operations Center for Drug Trafficking (MAOC) alerted the Intelligence Center against Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO) about a suspicious vessel that would head to Spain across the Atlantic loaded with cocaine. In this first phase, collaboration with the United Kingdom police forces has been essential for the subsequent interception of the submarine. Police from Portugal, the United States and Brazil have also participated in the operation.
From that moment on, a police device was deployed with naval aircraft from A Coruña and Pontevedra, while the police presence was reinforced throughout the coastal area.
When the submarine finally arrived on Saturday night at the Morrazo Peninsula (Pontevedra), a patrol with night vision equipment was able to see the arrival of the device and the subsequent escape of its crew members.
Given the stormy situation at sea, the semi-submersible was not able to deliver the drugs to a third boat, forcing it to move to the coast where the detainees caused it to sink and abandoned it.
At that moment a person who appeared equipped with a neoprene suit was stopped. At 9 a.m. on Sunday, a second drug trafficker was arrested. The third crew member has fled and is currently missing.
The investigation remains open to determine both the origin of the drug and the organization that was going to receive the drugs in Spain. Although the use of submarines is very common in America, this is the first time that this drug transport system has been detected in Europe. It is a handmade device, made of fiber, with the capacity and autonomy to transport between three and five tons of cocaine.
Filming of operation (to download the videos you must enter the following web addresses):
Night images of the customs surveillance, exploration and port arrival helicopter
Images of the submersible's exploration and arrival at port
Photographs of the operation