First Trans-Pacific Narco Submarine Caught Heading To Australia

A low-profile vessel (LPV), popularly termed a “narco-submarine”, was interdicted on February 14 2024. Subsequent reports from the court proceedings suggest that it was destined for Australia. The prospect of narco-submarines being used in the trans-Pacific drug trade have been researched previously. But this is the first time an interdicted narco-sub has been directly associated with the route. The narco-submarine was relatively large, being 18 meters (69 feet) long by 3 meters (10 feet) wide. It was the traditional sailing yacht-style hull with inboard motor and four crew. It is likely that this form of narco-submarine, termed LPV-IM for inboard…