- A narco-submarine carrying 1,687 kilos of cocaine was captured in the Pacific Ocean, the Colombian military said on Sunday
- Four suspects operating the 17.5-metre semi-submersible have been arrested
- The enormous cocaine shipment has a value of almost $1 million
A cocaine shipment worth nearly $1 million was seized by the Colombian military from a semi-submersible ship.
The 16-metre ship was loaded with 1,678 kilos of cocaine when it was spotted in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the western province of Nariño, Armed Forces Commander General Helder Giraldo said on Sunday.
Four suspects were arrested and placed under the custody of the Public Prosecution Service.
The massive shipment, which was stuffed into 77 plastic bags, was transported to Central America, according to authorities.
The Colombian military announced Sunday that it had captured a semi-submersible loaded with 1,678 kilos of cocaine and arrested four suspects. The drugs were reportedly smuggled to Central America
The drugs are said to be worth at least a million dollars
The coast guard escorted the ship to the port in the town of Tumaco, Nariño, where prosecutors inspected the cargo and confirmed it was cocaine.
The suspects are facing charges of trafficking, production and possession of drugs. If found guilty, they could serve prison terms ranging from eight to 20 years.
Authorities seized more than 705,000 kilograms of cocaine from drug trafficking organizations in 2023, the military said.
The drugs were enough to produce 4 million doses worldwide.
Colombian military officers remove one of 77 bags filled with 1,678 kilos of cocaine loaded onto a narco ship
Colombian military said more than 705,000 kilos of cocaine seized in 2023
The military said that by seizing cocaine shipments, it has prevented the cartels and left-wing guerrillas from generating more than $56 million in sales.
The military said that by seizing cocaine shipments, it prevented the cartels and left-wing guerrillas from generating more than $56 million in sales.
The harvest of coca – the main ingredient of cocaine – increased by 13 percent in Colombia last year to a record 568,342 hectares.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, potential cocaine production has increased by 24 percent to 1,915 tons per year.
Colombian authorities said in November they hoped to destroy 120 square kilometers of coca crops and seize a record 834 tons of cocaine by the end of the year.