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All Aboard
Colombia is not renowned for its naval power. However, some citizens of the South American country have entered into the maritime business. Instead of buying frigates, they have chosen submarines. There are no torpedoes within these semi-submerged vessels. There is only cocaine.
This is a different sort of warfare. (These submarines are home-made. No need to order from Belfast or Clydeside). (Although some of the engines are bought on the quiet from Rolls-Royce in Britain).
Their covert destinations are mainly located in Florida, but there are other harbours in the Gulf of Mexico, the British-governed Cayman Islands and farther north on the east American Atlantic coast.
The tactic is quite clever and reasonably efficient.
In 2006, American drug-interceptors spotted three. Recently, they have detected ten per month.
This is peanuts - or cocaine - for the 'drug lords' in Cali or Medellin. They could care less. The market for refined high-grade cocaine is so big that if you lose a couple of subs it means nothing.
Most submarines are considered to have a cargo of five tonnes for a local American market. They have large fuel tanks giving them a range of 2,000 nautical miles. They are made of fibreglass (less easy to detect by radar) and powered by diesel engines. The crew amounts to not more than four.
United States' drug-enforcement officials in Miami (wihout attribution) say that the latest submarine innovation may mean a street-price of up to 44 per cent in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles and San Diego, from today until September.
The Americans used to shoot down 'drug planes' in the sky and use aircraft to destroy cocoa fields and laboratories.
Now they have to deal with white subs. It ceretainly has flummoxed the US coast guard.
Ahoy matey.
