At the end of September, Spanish law enforcement authorities discovered another submarine used to transport drugs. This time, 3.6 tons of cocaine were delivered from Latin America to the coast of Galicia.
What is this method of delivering drugs to Europe, which has recently been used extensively by Colombian and Mexican drug cartels? And where did drug traffickers get their submarines?
Police detain crew members for the first time
A representative of the Spanish police told DW that three crew members, whose names and citizenship cannot be disclosed for the time being, as the investigation is not over, were detained, as well as 12 people who were waiting for them on the shore. Most of them have convictions for cocaine-related cases. A case has been opened against those arrested for drug trafficking and membership in a criminal organization. Police in Spain have been monitoring the actions of the offenders, who were detained along with the cargo immediately after disembarking.
This is not the first time that drug traffickers have used a submarine to deliver drugs from Latin America to Spain. Recently, about a third of the 100 to 120 tons of cocaine seized by Spanish authorities each year has entered the Iberian Peninsula in this way. But now, for the first time, the ship's crew has been detained, which "will allow us to clarify many questions related to drug trafficking," the police source added to DW.
The drug mafia's submarine fleet
Colombian cartels have been using submarines since the 1990s - to deliver cocaine to the United States, Spanish engineer Vicente Arcona, an expert on submarines, told DW. In the 2000s, the use of such boats to transport drugs across the Atlantic Ocean also began. These are vessels 10 to 20 meters long, manufactured in illegal Colombian shipyards on the banks of rivers flowing into the ocean, or in the jungle, away from prying eyes.
The hull of these ships is made of fiberglass, the Spanish engineer says. These are mainly semi-submersible boats, the hull of which protrudes slightly above the surface. These vessels are difficult to spot from the air, and are also difficult to detect by radar. In addition to semi-submersibles, drug traffickers have recently increasingly used fully submersible boats. Each can carry up to five tons of cargo. The crew is usually up to three people.
The conditions on board are unbearable
According to Arkona, these are low-cost vessels, the price of which is less than a million dollars. They are designed for only one trip: after delivery, they are discarded or sunk.
The conditions for the crew on these boats are unbearable: it is cramped on board, and the temperature often reaches 50 degrees Celsius. There is not enough air, because the boat's hatch, although it can surface, must be kept closed due to the ocean waves.
As a rule, the boat stops, and the hatch is opened only when the crew needs to go out for physiological needs. The submariners eat canned food during the entire 20-25-day journey and sleep on the packaged cocaine. The fiberglass causes allergies in many - their skin becomes covered with blisters. However, with a payment of $ 100,000 per trip, there is no shortage of carriers. According to the Spanish expert, candidates are recruited from experienced sailors aged 45-55.
A Russian trace in the drug mafia's submarines?
As early as the 1990s, experts noticed that Russian technology and Russian equipment were used for the homemade submarines, says Arkona. This is a development dating back to Soviet times - the "Piranha" project for the construction of small submarines. The police found indications in the seized boats - devices with inscriptions in Russian, as well as construction documentation also in Russian. However, there is no direct evidence of Russian involvement in the creation of the drug mafia's submarine fleet - and there are no detained Russian specialists.
Russian involvement in the construction of boats for transporting drugs was discussed after a half-built 32-meter submarine was discovered in an underground shipyard 40 km from the Colombian capital Bogota in 2020. From the seized documentation it is clear that it was to be sold for $ 10 million, would be able to dive to a depth of up to 50 meters and carry up to 15 tons of cargo on board. In addition to documentation in Russian, the police also found tools made in Russia.
"There are no specialists in Colombia who can build submarines. It is clear that foreigners are involved," says Arkona. However, so far, no workers from these illegal shipyards have been detained, he specifies.
The drug mafia is constantly improving its equipment. Today, it has devices that allow it to stay underwater for up to 30 minutes. These boats are equipped with GPS and other devices from the United States and other countries, purchased on the international market. The mafia is particularly concerned about keeping everything related to its illegal shipyards secret: as a rule, they are mined and blown up when law enforcement approaches.
Galicia - the cocaine hub of Western Europe
Submarines and ships transporting cocaine are most often found off the coast of Galicia, José Ribeiro, a member of "Put" - a Galician non-governmental organization for combating drug trafficking, told DW. From Galicia, cocaine is transported by road to other regions of Spain and further - to Western Europe.
The Galician mafia clans are well known to the police, Ribeiro assures. But the huge sums they earn from drug trafficking allow them to hire armies of fighters, bribe government officials, hire famous lawyers and evade responsibility. The leaders of the mafia sometimes end up in prison, but more often justice reaches only the executors - couriers and retailers.
Author: Viktor Cheretsky