A small fibreglass submarine thought to be used for drug trafficking has been found in a swamp in the Colombian jungle by soldiers.
The ‘narco-sub’ was found in the municipality of Bajo Baudo in the western Colombian department of Choco, close to the border with Panama.
The authorities believe is was used by a criminal organisation for drug trafficking and that it was due to be loaded with cocaine to be distributed along the Pacific coast, according to local media.
The 17-metre long, two-metre wide submarine was found by Colombian soldiers in a swamp and was taken to their barracks in the municipality of Pizarro, also in Choco.
Battalion commander Giovanni Carrillo told local media that the sub was recently constructed and that the fibreglass structure had already been completed, ready for use.
As the narco-sub’s position was close to the Pacific coast, Carrillo explained that it would have been “easy” for the traffickers to “load and unload the cargo before going out to sea”.
Carrillo added that other similar submarines have been found along the coast recently as they are proving to be a “cheap, stable and discreet” way of smuggling expensive items into other countries.
The authorities said the submarine was capable of carrying three tons of pure cocaine.
Video Credit: CEN (archive)
No arrests have been made yet as the investigation continues.
In October 2019, Colombian soldiers coming across a camp in the middle of the jungle where two fibreglass submarines were found.
A spokesperson for the Pacific Naval Force said: “They were built in a makeshift shipyard and were waiting to be loaded with cocaine before sailing up the estuary to the bay of Buenaventura and then up to Central America.”
One sub was reportedly capable of transporting between six and seven tons of pure cocaine. The other could transport between three and four tons of cocaine, according to reports.
Although the camp was deserted and some material evidence was found destroyed, the authorities believe it was a strong blow to the criminal gang’s operations.
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Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
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