Narco-submarine intercepts cocaine worth £160m

Royal Navy commandos have stormed their first ‘narco submarine’ and seized two tonnes of cocaine worth a staggering £160million.

Royal Marines on the patrol ship HMS Trent created the historic bust during a patrol in the Caribbean.

The secret underwater submarine is used by drug cartels to transport massive quantities of drugs around the world.

The boats are powered by two electric motors and can sail undetected under the waves, carrying up to six tons of drugs.

A boarding party consisting of Royal Marines from 47 Commando, specialist sailors and US Coast Guard personnel boarded the vessel in waters 190 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic.

This is the moment elite Royal Marines commandos stormed their first ‘narco-sub’

The submarine was intercepted in the Caribbean and was loaded with £160 million worth of cocaine

Royal Navy personnel aboard HMS Trent, supported by the US Coast Guard, made the seizure last month (Navy personnel are pictured with some of the seized drugs).

The gang of criminals seized 2,000 kilos of cocaine with a street value of £160 million, dealing another huge blow to the Caribbean drug trade.

It is the eighth raid by the Portsmouth-based HMS Trent, which has smuggled £750m worth of drugs into Britain in just seven months.

HMS Trent’s Commanding Officer, Commander Tim Langford, said: ‘It has been a busy but rewarding eight months for Trent during his deployment to the Caribbean. This latest seizure highlights the usefulness of the Royal Navy’s offshore patrol vessels in carrying out this vital task.

“My skilled team and our embarked USCG Law Enforcement Detachment overcame difficult conditions to intercept this semi-submersible – rarely seen in the Caribbean – and were rewarded with another record catch.

“These operations are a team effort and require the commitment of every member of my crew, regardless of their usual role. They can be immensely proud of what they have achieved.”

This eighth drug bust came on August 26, just 72 hours after Trent’s last successful raid, which saw 462kg of cocaine worth £37million seized.

About 90 nautical miles north of where they stopped the drug submarine, a high-speed nighttime chase by Trent’s naval vessels seized two suspects and 12 bales of drugs, which were to be turned over to U.S. authorities.

The Portsmouth-based patrol ship HMS Trent (pictured) has carried out eight raids in just seven months, seizing almost £750m worth of drugs

The photo shows the boarding parties from HMS Trent surrounding the drug-trafficking submarine

A sailor from HMS Trent carries a bag of narcotics seized from the narco submarine

With the seizure of 9,459kg of narcotics – worth almost £750m – Trent surpasses HMS Argyll as the Royal Navy’s best smuggler hunter this century, breaking the frigate’s current total value of £620m

These successful interceptions disrupt the operation of transnational criminal organisations (TCO) and highlight the vital role the Royal Navy plays in maintaining maritime security and upholding international law, both at home and abroad.

This role is more important than ever as the flow of drugs into Europe and the UK, where an estimated 117 tonnes are consumed each year, increases significantly.

HMS Trent continues her patrol in the Caribbean.

In addition to tracking drug gangs, Trent can also provide humanitarian aid during hurricane season.

A cocaine submarine at the end of a rainbow: Royal Navy boarding teams approach the blue narco submarine

The ship carries approximately 50 disaster response specialists, including the Crisis Response Troop of 24 Commando Royal Engineers.

In addition to carrying equipment to repair damaged infrastructure and life-saving medical supplies, the ship also carries a drone system called the Puma, which performs essential reconnaissance and surveillance functions.

The ship recently visited the British Virgin Islands to conduct repairs in Tortola after Tropical Storm Ernesto passed through the region.