Authorities from multiple countries have seized 225 metric tons of cocaine in a six-week mega-operation, uncovering a new Pacific trafficking route from South America to Australia, according to the Colombian Navy on Wednesday. Multiple reports suggest that this drug bust has set a global record for any single anti-narcotics operation, finding some of that haul on a “narco submarine” travelling on a new drug trafficking route to Australia.
This latest phase of the global naval operation “Orion” led to the confiscation of over 1,400 tons of drugs, including 225 tons of cocaine and 128 tons of marijuana.
The UN estimates that 2,700 tons of cocaine are produced globally each year, with Colombia’s highest annual seizure being 671 tons in 2022.
“This is a significant blow to the cocaine trade, especially considering the large quantities of the drug leaving the region,” said Captain Manuel Rodríguez, director of the Colombian Navy’s anti-narcotics unit. “This will prevent thousands of overdose deaths and stop $8.5 billion from reaching the cartels, which certainly impacts the profits of these criminal organizations.”
The operation, conducted in October and November, saw more than 400 arrests and targeted oceans, coasts, rivers, and ports worldwide. Security agencies from the United States, Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands, and various other countries, alongside multiple international organizations, were involved.
The massive drug bust deprived cartels of over $8.4 billion, as reported by the Navy.
The operation also exposed previously unknown collaborations between cartels from Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and criminal groups from Europe and Oceania.
Colombia remains the world’s largest producer and exporter of cocaine, primarily to the United States and Europe. Last year, the country set a new record for cocaine production and coca leaf cultivation.
