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A Spanish customs officer inspects a seizure of cocaine in the port of Vigo in June 2019 (image for illustration). MIGUEL RIOPA / AFP

Spanish police discovered a submarine stranded in the Cangas estuary in Galicia, loaded with cocaine from Latin America. Two of the three members of the crew, of Ecuadorian origin, were arrested, the third, a Spaniard, is still on the run.

With our correspondent in Madrid, Diane Cambon

The drug traffickers do not hesitate on the means to get the drug to Europe but this time, the surprise was really big. Even though Galicia, the region of northwestern Spain, is used to seeing shipments of drugs coming from Latin America on its shores , this is the first time a 20-meter submarine long runs aground on his cocaine loaded ribs.

The semi-submersible aircraft was abandoned by the crew because of a possible failure. These machines are manufactured by retired engineers, according to defense analysts.

Nearly three tons of cocaine

The submarine was first spotted off Lisbon by the Portuguese police before heading to the Spanish coast. It came from Cape Verde. This is the traditional route taken by drug traffickers in South America to market cocaine in Europe.

It will be necessary to wait until the police bail out the submarine, which was transported in the small port of Aldan, to determine the total quantity of drug on board. According to a Spanish police diver who was able to enter the aircraft, there would be more than three tons of cocaine from Colombia or Brazil.