All the way on its own:
A submarine travelled nearly 6,000 miles down the Amazon and across the Atlantic before it was seized off Spain carrying three tonnes of cocaine, it was disclosed yesterday.
The vessel, built in Suriname or Guyana, was monitored by international drug enforcement agencies before it reached Cangas do Morrazo in the province of Pontevedra, Galicia, where it was scuppered by its crew last month.
The journey was possible because of the 20-metre semi-submersible boat’s 20,000-litre fuel capacity, according to the Spanish newspaper El País, which yesterday published the fullest account yet of its remarkable journey.
Not towed at all…..
That’s capitalism for you.
Did it manage to sink the Tirpitz ?
They should have escaped in the Flying Sub.
You mean it wasn’t solar-powered? Outrage!
Sean Connery’s already been signed up for the film version.
So where did they go wrong? The fact that it was only semi-submersible perhaps made it visible to satellites? Or did other vessels spot it (the plume is diesel smoke being a dead giveaway) and report it to the authorities?
Impressive… Most impressive.
A semi-submersible is not a submarine. No matter what journalists tell you.
Yes, Andrew, one wonders what happened. Did a Tikuna sell them out?
Sean Connery’s already been signed up for the film version.
Dash Toot.
Wow… wonder if it’s really efficient to do that. Impressive though, I was very much on the towing side, and apparently, wrong
About 1.4mpg for a 3 tonne payload. Not what I’d call “efficient”
Maybe it looks better on cost per mile of value moved?
Must have ponged a bit, on that sub after 19 days. The Ecuadoran diet runs heavy on beans. Have to keep my eyes open for some niffy charlie going about. You can guarantee 3 ton of primera won’t be staying with the Guardia for long.
“scuppered by its crew last month”
Scuttled, Mr Thunderer
Did they find the third crew member?
I looked at the El País article in translation. It said the Spaniards have had suspicions of this kind of delivery for 2 or 3 years, and this vessel may have made several trips. It’s certainly not economic to have it disposable after the first voyage.
Very impressed by this. A private body making a stealth vehicle that can travel so far and is assumed to have done it several times. Brings back the pioneering spirit and macho values.
@Lord T
+1 Ingenuity: imagine a Gov’t F1 team – by race 20 they still wouldn’t have decided which petrol supplier to use
On semi–sub, shows the futility of prohibition of supply: Gov’t spends more taxpayers’ money, quick thinking suppliers develop new delivery method
I’m not pro-legalise, but believe we’re tackling it wrong. Start at bottom by locking up users
Alcohol & Tobacco are similar: selling to under-age is illegal, under-age buying/using is not