Portuguese police have successfully thwarted a large-scale drug smuggling operation, intercepting a homemade semi-submersible vessel carrying nearly seven tons of cocaine 800 kilometers south of the Azores.
Authorities confirmed the drugs were intended for distribution across Europe.
On board the semi-submersible were three Brazilian nationals, one Colombian, and one Spaniard, all of whom were arrested. The operation, code-named Nautilus, involved the Portuguese Air Force, Navy, Spanish Civil Guard, and received support from U.S. and British intelligence agencies.
Police explained that the vessel, described as a “narco-semi-submersible,” does not fully submerge but remains difficult to detect by radar due to its low profile.
“These vessels are becoming increasingly popular with drug cartels,” law enforcement officials said.
This method of transporting cocaine is not new; in 2019, the first such vessel was discovered off the coast of Spain after crossing the Atlantic from Colombia, carrying three tons of drugs.
