Portugal seizes 6.5 tonnes of cocaine from submarine

Portuguese authorities have seized nearly 6.5 tonnes of cocaine from a semi-submersible submarine. This vessel was intercepted off the Azores as it headed toward the Iberian Peninsula. The judicial police announced the bust on Tuesday. This amount of cocaine represents almost a quarter of the total seized in Portugal during 2024, which set a record at 23 tonnes. Portugal is known to be a key entry point for cocaine into Europe. Traffickers often use semi-submersible boats, or "narco-submarines," to transport drugs and avoid detection. The interception occurred about 500 nautical miles, or more than 900 kilometers, south of the Azores. There were five crew members on board the submarine. The operation involved help from various agencies, including the US Drug Enforcement Agency and the British National Crime Agency. These semi-submersibles cannot dive completely like traditional submarines. However, some can submerge partially. Most cocaine smuggled into Portugal is transported over the ocean from Latin America.