The rise of the ‘narco submarine’ has opened up a new frontier in Spain’s war on drugs.
The underwater vessels were first rumbled in 2019, when a semi-submersible carrying three tonnes of cocaine was discovered off the coast of Galicia.
Now, they are operating down south in what has become known as the African cocaine route.
The ‘narco subs’ carry cocaine from South America and stop around 60 miles off the coast of Cadiz, remaining in international waters.
The drugs are then picked up by so-called ‘narcolanchas’, or RHIBs, which are lightweight, high-performance boats that can travel at speed.
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The shipments are zipped across the Strait of Gibraltar and into the mouth of the Guadalquivir river, which runs through the heart of Andalucia, including the historic city of Sevilla.
The rubber boats will make the drop off in a secluded spot along the banks of the river.
Last month, a narco-sub was discovered 500 nautical miles off the Azores islands in the Atlantic.
It was packed with 6.6 tonnes of cocaine from Brazil and was headed for Spain, with an alleged Sevillano cartel member reported to be among the five arrested.
A Colombian man and three Brazilians were also cuffed as part of the operation led by the Portuguese Navy and Air Force, the US’s DEA, and the UK’s National Crime Agency.
Police sources told Diario de Cadiz this week that Brazil is the leading manufacturer of the narco submarines, which are sunk to the bottom of the ocean after completing their deliveries.
In Andalucia, once the drugs enter the Guadalquivir River, a ‘guide’ from a local cartel must jump on board and ferry the shipment through the complicated network of channels and streams.
This work, of course, is not done for free, and local drug mafias are now said to be competing for the business.
Andalucia has long been a major hotbed for drug trafficking due to it being the first port of call by sea from South America into Europe.
Reports suggest cartels in the region have intensified their collaboration with drug mafias from across the ocean.
Groups based in Campo de Gibraltar are constantly changing up their methods of delivery by investing in new technology as part of the endless cat-and-mouse game with the authorities.
Experts from the Policia Nacional and Guardia Civil told Diario de Cadiz that the use of narco-submarines could increase in the coming years, as they are difficult to detect and can carry large shipments at a time.
One said: ‘They’ve realized they can build them ever larger, like the last one they caught near the Azores. They pack tonnes of cocaine, provisions for a week’s sailing, many flasks of fuel, and four or five guys willing to risk their lives for a handful of thousands of euros.
‘They’re just pawns, bad guys with criminal records and little to lose, raised in shantytowns.
‘People without claustrophobia, of course. Capable of going out to take a leak in the middle of the Atlantic… It’s crazy, but it’s the new business niche.’
