OVIEDO, Spain

Spanish police said on Monday that they have broken up a criminal gang that was caught manufacturing submarine drug drones.

Police discovered three unmanned semi-submersible drones that can carry up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of drugs across the Strait of Gibraltar. Two were still being built while one was almost operational.

According to police, the drones were set to be sold to French drug dealers, who planned to use them to transport cocaine.

This is the first time Spanish authorities have encountered submarine drones designed to carry drugs, police said in a statement.

During the bust, police also seized significant quantities of cannabis products, more than €150,000 ($156,460) in cash, six large aerial drones and four vehicles with false bottoms that were also designed to carry drugs.

Police arrested eight people in Cadiz, Malaga, and Barcelona for drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organization.

The bust was the result of a 14-month investigation in collaboration with French police. The gang was also allegedly offered logistical services to criminal clients in Italy, France, and Denmark.

Last summer, Spanish and French police seized an air drone capable of carrying up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of cargo, which was used to transport drugs from Morocco to southern Spain.

In another novelty of the drug trade, Spanish police also captured the first known European-made “narco submarine” in March 2021. That vessel would have been able to transport up to 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds) of drugs across long distances.