Off the coast of Spain

Fisherman discovers sinking drug submarine

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

Spanish fishermen have discovered a sinking drug submarine in the Atlantic off the coast of Galicia (see video above). The crew had already disappeared - the vessel was reportedly broken in two.

The fisherman had already spotted the drug submarine on Tuesday morning off A Coruña, a port city located on a headland in the Galicia region in north-western Spain.

The submarine is believed to have been around 20 meters long, but part of it is said to have broken off, according to the Guardia Civil. The authorities located the sunken part between 100 and 200 meters away from the part that was still floating in the water.

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

Crew probably tried to sink submarine
Civil Guard personnel found the part of the submarine that was still floating with the hatch open. According to reports in local newspapers, the crew probably tried to sink it.

On Wednesday evening, the part that had not sunk was towed into port by the Spanish authorities. It is unclear whether the Spanish authorities found drugs on the submarine, which was probably being used to smuggle illegal substances such as cocaine from Latin America to Europe.

Divers searched for sunken part
The Spanish authorities deployed divers to refloat the sunken part of the submarine and said they believed the vessel had been used to smuggle drugs to Spain just 48 hours earlier.

The submarines, or semi-submersibles, are built and operated by organized crime groups. The vehicles, known in English-speaking countries as "narco-submarines" or "drug-subs", are generally only intended for one-off use.