Four people have been detained after Portuguese authorities intercepted a narco-sub carrying more than 1.7 tonnes of cocaine in the mid-Atlantic.
The semi-submersible vessel was bound for the Iberian peninsula and was seized in recent days, according to officials.
Footage shows the police and navy surrounding the vessel before boarding, seizing the Class A substance and arresting four crew members, who are said to be from South America.
The suspects, including two Ecuadorians, a Venezuelan and a Colombian, were remanded in pre-trial custody after their court appearance in the Azores on Tuesday, said police.
Vítor Ananias, head of Portugal's police unit to combat drug trafficking, told a press conference that their different nationalities showed the organisation behind them was not just based in one country.
The Lisbon-based Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (MAOC) reported that they had received information indicating that a criminal organisation was dispatching a submersible loaded with cocaine destined for Europe.
Shortly after the alert, a Portuguese ship located the submersible approximately 1,000 nautical miles off the coast of Lisbon, in an operation backed by the UK's National Crime Agency and the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
Once the vessel was seized, the navy stated that due to poor weather and its fragile construction, it could not be towed back to shore and subsequently sank in the open sea.
Vítor Ananias remarked on the extreme conditions faced by those on board, citing the heat, fumes, and high waves, suggesting that the situation aboard such vessels could escalate rapidly.
Similar incidents have occurred in recent years, highlighting an ongoing issue with narco-trafficking via semi-submersible craft. Notably, in March, another vessel was seized carrying 6.5 tonnes of cocaine.
This event also coincides with heightened enforcement efforts from the US administration, which has initiated aggressive measures against vessels suspected of drug smuggling, raising concerns about international legal implications and reactions from Latin American leaders.
