Fears Colombian narco submarines packed with pure cocaine will strike Irish coastline after huge Spain cartel sub bust

The Irish Sun

4 hours ago

It comes after authorities in Europe discovered another cocaine sub close to the Azores islands earlier this year
NARCOS: IRELAND Fears Colombian narco submarines packed with pure cocaine will strike Irish coastline after huge Spain cartel sub bust
COLOMBIAN narco subs packed with tons of pure cocaine could soon reach Ireland, a leading cop has warned.
Sjoerd Top - executive director with the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre - made the claim after a cartel sub was found off the coast of northern Spain two years ago.
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A cartel sub was found off the coast of northern Spain two years ago
Credit: AP:Associated Press
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Sjoerd Top told how cartels were using 'new techniques' in the transportation of drugs
Credit: Journalist collects
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Irish gangster Daniel Kinahan
Credit: Refer to Caption
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Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel
Credit: AP
Earlier this year, authorities in Europe discovered another cocaine sub close to the Azores islands.
Mr Top succeeded former Garda Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan at the Lisbon-based crime fighting agency in 2021.
He told how groups such as the Kinahan cartel, the Sinaloa cartel, led by Ismael 'El Mayo Zambada, the Italian mafia and Albanian crime networks often work with other transnational crime networks when shipping tons of cocaine across the Atlantic.
So far this year, MAOC coordinated operations have led to the seizure of 40 tons of cocaine, compared to 72 last year and 80 in 2023 - with one tonne of cocaine worth about €70million.
As efforts to combat the flow of cocaine from South America to Europe continues, the outgoing MAOC chief told how cartels were using 'new techniques' in the transportation of drugs.
Mr Top said: 'If these vessels end up in the north of Spain, it's not that far away from Ireland.
'It's possible these vessels could travel to the Irish coastline. The range they can travel now is greater than it was four years ago.
'They are low-profile vessels, with 80-90 per cent of the vessel below the water, making them difficult to detect. The transnational crime groups are all aligned one way or the other.
'We saw how they travelled to Spain and Portugal and that's why we co-organised a working conference with the Colombian Navy on detecting and intercepting these vessels. Ireland was represented at this conference.
He added: 'The subs are longer now and can carry more drugs and we are constantly seeing new techniques being used by the transnational criminal networks.
'Every time the criminal networks see the successes of law enforcement, they try to adapt and look at new ways of transporting cocaine across the Atlantic.'
The investigator warned that our coastline is vulnerable to transnational smuggling ops.
'EASY TARGET'
He said: 'I don't think the drug trafficking networks find Ireland as an easy target because the authorities have been very successful at seizures — but the Irish coast is difficult to protect.
'The crime groups are sending more but smaller packages towards Europe, so if one is seized they have others.
It's possible these vessels could travel to the Irish coastline. The range they can travel now is greater than it was four years ago."
Sjoerd Top
'They are also using the go-fast vessels for collecting drugs at sea and there really is no legitimate use for these types of vessels.'
The subs operate by sitting low in the water with only a small section visible above the surface.
They are normally between 15 and 20 metres long, built from fibreglass and powered by a gas or diesel engine.
It's believed the vessels can cost over €1million to make and are capable of holding four pilots and over three tons of cocaine.
'EMERGING TREND'
Det Supt Joseph O'Reilly, from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, told how the increased use of subs by narco gangs was an 'emerging trend'.
The senior officer said: 'Ireland will remain vigilant to the changing methodology by transnational organised crime groups including the use of semi-submersible vessels and go-fast vessels in attempts to bring cocaine into this jurisdiction.
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Colombian subs used to ship drugs across Atlantic Ocean
Credit: Journalist collects
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And they could soon reach Ireland, a leading cop has warned
Credit: Journalist collects
'We will continue to target the enablers and facilitators of global drug trafficking networks who cause misery in our communities.
'Transnational organised crime groups do not respect borders and they do not care about the financial and human cost of their criminal actions.
'The GNDOCB has skilled and experienced criminal investigators who gather evidence and bring these groups before the courts with the ultimate aim to break down and disrupt their networks.'
In an exclusive interview with The Irish Sun, Mr Top - who has 25 years policing experience - also praised Ireland for its role in the seizure of €157million worth of cocaine from the MV Matthew in September 2023.
Transnational organised crime groups do not respect borders and they do not care about the financial and human cost of their criminal actions."
Det Supt Joseph O'Reilly
During the investigation into the narco cargo ship, MAOC worked closely with the GNDOCB, Customs, the Irish Naval Service and the Army Ranger Wing.
DRAMATIC SEIZURE
Following the dramatic seizure, eight men were jailed between 13 and 20 years for their role in the drug trafficking enterprise.
The MAOC chief added: 'The seizure of the cocaine from the MV Matthew was a significant and important investigation.
'At one stage of the investigation the French authorities wanted to do an interdiction but they didn't proceed with this because the Irish authorities had intelligence on the daughter ship, the Castlemore.
'This case showed how military and law enforcement working together was crucial.
'When the Irish authorities did intervene we were able to collect crucial evidence and prevent €157million worth of cocaine from reaching Europe.
'This was a brilliant case where all the national and international partners collaborated for the purpose of dismantling an organised crime network.'
The investigator added: 'Ireland has been part of MAOC from the beginning and has been very involved in a lot of cases - sometimes these vessels never enter Irish waters.
'We have seen over 20 cases in recent years where Irish intelligence was used to intercept vessels in other parts of the world.
'I have had four fantastic years at MAOC and have been privileged to work with some fantastic investigators from around the world.'