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) had received information in recent days indicating that a criminal organisation was dispatching a submersible loaded with cocaine destined for Europe.
A Portuguese ship successfully 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.
The navy stated that the vessel could not be towed back to shore due to poor weather conditions and its fragile construction, resulting in it sinking in the open sea.
Ananias underscored the dire conditions the men faced aboard the vessel, citing heat and fumes as among the challenges.
This incident is part of a recurring problem for authorities, who have intercepted similar vessels in previous years, with a comparable seizure of 6.5 tonnes of cocaine reported just months earlier.
As the investigation continues, international implications arise, particularly with US authorities intensifying efforts against drug smuggling operations, drawing controversy from Latin American leaders regarding the legality of their methods.
