Colombian police and troops have seized a custom-built electric submarine capable of carrying up to four tonnes of cocaine. The vessel, valued at £1.1 million, was discovered in a river in the Choco region near the border with Panama before it could transport its illicit cargo.
The nine-metre-long, four-and-a-half-metre-wide submarine was built from sheet metal and powered by over 100 batteries, making it extremely difficult to detect underwater. It also featured an underwater camera to assist navigation during drug smuggling voyages.
Authorities believe the submarine, which took approximately five months to construct, was intended to transport drugs to Central America. The ELN guerrilla group, currently in peace negotiations with the Colombian government, are considered the most likely owners.
In the past two months, Colombian authorities have seized over nine tonnes of cocaine and 1.5 tonnes of cannabis on the country's west coast. The submarine will be moved to a naval base in Valle del Cauca for forensic examination to aid the fight against drug trafficking.
