Colombian drug traffickers sink submarine with cargo off Spain
A group of Colombian drug traffickers sank their submarine off the coast of Spain after they were spotted by customs officers, police said in a joint statement Tuesday.
Spain is one of the main entry points for drugs into Europe, due to its close links with Latin America and its proximity to Morocco.
On Sunday, customs officers spotted a vessel 280 nautical miles (500 kilometres) off the southern Spanish coast.
READ ALSO: Spanish police smash international drug-smuggling ring
It was a 20-metre semi-submersible - a type of boat increasingly used by traffickers who are redoubling their creativity to find new ways of concealing drug shipments.
When customs officers approached, the crew "opened the valves on the bottom of the submarine, before surfacing to safety," the statement said.
It added: "The semi-submersible was flooded within minutes, before sinking with its cargo to the bottom of the sea."
The four Colombian crew members were rescued and then arrested.
Comments
See Also
Spain is one of the main entry points for drugs into Europe, due to its close links with Latin America and its proximity to Morocco.
On Sunday, customs officers spotted a vessel 280 nautical miles (500 kilometres) off the southern Spanish coast.
READ ALSO: Spanish police smash international drug-smuggling ring
It was a 20-metre semi-submersible - a type of boat increasingly used by traffickers who are redoubling their creativity to find new ways of concealing drug shipments.
When customs officers approached, the crew "opened the valves on the bottom of the submarine, before surfacing to safety," the statement said.
It added: "The semi-submersible was flooded within minutes, before sinking with its cargo to the bottom of the sea."
The four Colombian crew members were rescued and then arrested.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.