A submarine drone used by drug traffickers, which looks like a miniature floating car, was recovered last Saturday in the waters of the Strait while drifting. A Maritime Rescue vessel spotted the device, which appeared homemade, and the Civil Guard sent a patrol boat to the area. The ingenious drug trafficker’s object, dark in color and low in height, did not contain any type of narcotic inside, although it is presumed to have been used for drug transport, according to several sources. The Civil Judicial Police agents of Algeciras (Cádiz) will be in charge of investigating it.
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The drone was the size of a jet ski, was homemade, and it is estimated that it could carry about 200 kilos of narcotic substance, according to the same sources. With a rectangular base and rounded edges, it was partially submerged, with the edge very close to the water. Its approximate dimensions are around 2.5 meters long and 1.25 wide.
This is not the first time these devices have been mentioned on the Cádiz coast. In 2022, the Police dismantled an organization that involved the collaboration of a father and son who used vessels from Castellar de la Frontera (Cádiz, 3,000 inhabitants) to manufacture objects to hide drugs. Among them were three unmanned mini-submarines, prepared to carry up to 200 kilos of drugs. One of these designs, halfway between handmade and sophisticated, was even displayed in the courtyard of the National Police Station in Algeciras.
The drug trafficker’s drone found last week also seems to mix the latest technology with simple, even somewhat rough finishes. According to images of the device, accessed by EL PAÍS, on the top it has an elevated rectangular block with a white plate that, due to its placement and characteristics, could be a high-precision GPS antenna. Antennas in the shape of rods and a transparent hemispherical dome that could protect an antenna or sensor are also visible on the hull.
Inside, the drone had an electronic compartment protected with several elements connected by wiring. The device had a rectangular module installed with the inscription CAN PMU, a power unit used for unmanned vehicles such as drones. Its cables were guided and it also had traces of tape, adhesive or white sealant, and a USB-type connector.
Organized crime’s attempts to introduce drugs into national territory do not cease, both in unmanned vehicles and inflatable boats. This Thursday, a video surfaced showing a chase in which the Civil Guard stopped a drug boat 42 miles from the town of Punta Umbría (Huelva), loaded with 4,000 kilos of hashish. Its four crew members have been arrested.
The agents detected that the vessel had no navigation systems and, when they were close, saw that it was a semi-rigid boat with four engines loaded with burlap bundles. Upon realizing they had been discovered, the drug boat tried to flee, leading to a chase that put their lives and those of the agents at risk. During the escape, they threw some bundles into the water and fuel cans.
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