International drug traffickers are reportedly using sophisticated, whale-shaped submarines to smuggle illicit drugs into Australia.
According to The Australian, criminal syndicates, including Italian mafia, South American cartels and bikie gangs, are employing advanced underwater technology to bypass detection.
The so-called “whale vessels” are designed to look like real marine animals and can carry large quantities of drugs such as cocaine and fentanyl.
These vessels are transported on cargo ships and dropped off in international waters before smaller boats retrieve them to deliver the drugs onshore. Authorities say successful tests of these vessels have already taken place off the coasts of New South Wales and Western Australia.
The vessels originating from a number of ports in Europe and South America, including Cyprus, are part of a new wave of drug smuggling techniques that aim to evade traditional detection methods.
Australian law enforcement agencies, including the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), are actively monitoring these emerging threats.
Source: The Advertiser.
