Colombia's armed forces seized one of the largest submarines designed for drug trafficking through the Pacific to Central America, Navy officials said Friday.
Colombia has captured 11 homemade submarines for drug smuggling since 2005.
This latest fiberglass vessel, whose construction was nearing completion, was seized in Tumaco, a rural area in the southern province of Narino bordering Ecuador. It had space for four crewmembers and was capable of carrying 12 tons of illicit drugs.
Colombia's Pacific coast has become a key route for drug traffickers seeking to enter sea lanes north to Mexico and the United States. There have been occasional reports of fighting over Pacific Ocean drug routes among guerrillas, paramilitaries and traffickers.
Meanwhile, rudimentary submarines and submersible containers dragged behind container ships are being developed into a major means of shipment by traffickers.
Colombia is the world's No. 1 cocaine producer, with an output of some 6,000 tons a year. The country is a major recipient of U.S. aid to fight traffickers and guerrillas.
Source: Xinhua
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