It's Been a Tough Week for the Cocaine Business

Seizures in two continents account for $700 million worth of powder

It hasn't been the best week for drug smugglers. The U.S. Coast Guard recovered almost seven tons of cocaine from a submarine they intercepted in the middle of the Caribbean waters, BBC News reports. The Coast Guard encountered the submarine in mid-July, but the men on board tried to sink it with the drugs left on board. They were arrested, and some of the cocaine was recovered, but the Coast Guard was able to recover the rest of the cocaine from the sunken sub and transported it to U.S. waters last week. "The Coast Guard is always on the lookout for anything that looks suspicious in the water and that definitely includes 15,000lb [6.8 tonnes] of drugs," said Coast Guard Lt. Patrick Montgomery. The cocaine was estimated to be worth close to $180 million.

British police discovered 1.2 tons of cocaine hidden aboard a yacht Tuesday, The Guardian reports. The drugs seized from the yacht were reportedly worth up to $500 million. The drugs were 90% pure, which is why the difference between the two seizures is so high. The job was done by professionals, and six people have been arrested. According to AFP, the job was done by a group of trained professionals.

"The cocaine took up a space of about four cubic metres and was fitted neatly under the diving platform aft with access from the engine room," a UKBA spokesman said.

"It required some really good blanking panels to hide them and it was ingenious."

Eight tons of cocaine was seized this week between the United States and Britain. The total cost of everything was around $700 million dollars. And yet, British authorities are saying their efforts won't have any affect on the ability to find the drugs on the streets of Britain. "No one is reporting a drought," Harry Shapiro, a representative for the charity Drugscope told The Guardian.