Soldiers discover Colombian drugs cartel's fibreglass submarine used to traffic tons of pure cocaine hidden in jungle


  • 17-metre long 'narco-sub' was found in swamp in Bajo Baudo in Choco, Colombia
  • Submarines cost up to £2m to build but cocaine has street value of up to £100m
  • Battalion commander said structure was recently built and ready to be used


By ISABELLA NIKOLIC FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 04:04 EST, 1 February 2020 | UPDATED: 05:02 EST, 1 February 2020 e-mail

Soldiers have discovered a drug-smuggling submarine that was used by a Colombian cartel to ferry cocaine with a street value of up to £100million.

The 17-metre long fibreglass submarine, known as a 'narco-sub', was found in the municipality of Bajo Baudo in the western Colombian department of Choco, near the border with Panama.


Authorities believe it was due to be loaded with cocaine that was to be distributed along the Pacific coast.

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The 17-metre long fibreglass submarine, known as a 'narco-sub', was found in the municipality of Bajo Baudo in the western Colombian department of Choco


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Authorities believe it was due to be loaded with cocaine that was to be distributed along the Pacific coast. The material found in the jungle was destroyed (pictured)


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The submarine, which can cost up to £2million to build but can hold up to £100million of cocaine

The submarine, which can cost up to £2million to build, was found by Colombian soldiers in a swamp and taken to their barracks in the municipality of Pizarro.

Battalion commander Giovanni Carrillo told local media that the submarine was recently constructed and that the fibreglass structure had already been completed - ready for use.


As the narco-sub's position was close to the Pacific coast, Carrillo explained that it would have been 'easy' for the traffickers to 'load and unload the cargo before going out to sea'.

Carrillo added that other similar submarines have been found along the coast recently as they are proving to be a 'cheap, stable and discreet' way of smuggling expensive items into other countries.


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Battalion commander Giovanni Carrillo told local media that the submarine was recently constructed and that the fibreglass structure had already been completed - ready for use


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As the narco-sub's position was close to the Pacific coast, Carrillo explained that it would have been 'easy' for the traffickers to 'load and unload the cargo before going out to sea'

The authorities said the submarine was capable of carrying three tons of pure cocaine.

No arrests have been made yet as the investigation continues.


In October 2019, Colombian soldiers coming across a camp in the middle of the jungle where two fibreglass submarines were found.


A spokesperson for the Pacific Naval Force said: 'They were built in a makeshift shipyard and were waiting to be loaded with cocaine before sailing up the estuary to the bay of Buenaventura and then up to Central America.'


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Carrillo added that other similar submarines have been found along the coast recently as they are proving to be a 'cheap, stable and discreet' way of smuggling expensive items

One sub was reportedly capable of transporting between six and seven tons of pure cocaine. The other could transport between three and four tons of cocaine, according to reports.

Although the camp was deserted and some material evidence was found destroyed, the authorities believe it was a strong blow to the criminal gang's operations.


The first narco-sub was discovered in 2006. When the DEA found it they nicknamed it 'Bigfoot' because they believed those kind of submarines were just an urban legend.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...e-cocaine.html