‘Narco sub’ bound for Australia seized in massive international operation that netted 1,400 metric tons of drugs

Six so-called “narco subs” stuffed with cocaine were captured in a Colombian-led international anti-drug operation, authorities in the Latin American nation said Wednesday, as part of a huge global bust.

The mission, involving 62 countries, seized more than 1,400 metric tons of drugs – mostly marijuana – between October 1 and November 14, according to Vice Adm. Orlando Enrique Grisales, chief of naval operations staff for the Colombian Navy.

Among the haul was 225 metric tons of cocaine, 5 tons of which was found aboard a semi-submersible vessel plying a marine trafficking route from Colombia to Australia, he said.

The vessel, intercepted in Pacific waters with enough fuel to reach Australia, is the third such “narco sub” intercepted on the route, Grisales told reporters.

“The first was discovered in Colombian waters, and thanks to the maps it carried, we identified the route. That’s when we began working with Australian authorities,” he added.

Australian police have warned in recent years that international drugs cartels are increasingly targeting the country, where a surge in cocaine use combined with some of the highest street prices in the world has fueled a lucrative illicit market.

It’s not the first time “narco subs” have been seized by authorities. Traffickers started using the vessels in the late 1990s as Colombian cartels looked for ways to evade US law enforcement patrols in the Caribbean Sea to transport their illegal cargo into the United States.

The 225-ton seizure of cocaine is a huge haul. In a report this year, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimated that in 2022, global cocaine production reached 2,700 tons, a record high.