20-meter-long submarine is believed to be sailed from south America with several tonnes of cocaine on board, assesses the sources.

Spanish police have seized a submarine full of cocaine from south America.

A source close to the investigation says that the submarine is believed to contain several tons of the narcotic substance.

- A diver managed to get into the submarine on Monday and take a package of cocaine with him away, says a spokesman for the local authorities in Spain.

the Vessel was intercepted off the coast of the northwestern region of Galicia.

Two ecuadorian men are arrested in the case.

the Police worked Monday to continue to get the submarine up to the surface and will not be able to say exactly how much cocaine that is hidden in the submarine, before it comes on land.

But a source close to the investigation say that it probably is about "several tonnes, but it is just an assessment".

the Spanish media Casinomaxi writes that there are over three tonnes of cocaine on board.

The 20-meter-long submarine is meant to be sailed all the way from south America, says a second source close to the investigation. He does not specify which country it comes from.

- It is not the first time, but we don't see this every day, adds the source.

drug traffickers - mainly from Colombia - has several times in the past, used submarines to transport their illegal cargo to Mexico, and from there further into the UNITED states.

Some of the more advanced ubådstyper, as narkobanderne get manufactured, can dive up to 30 meters under the water.

Galicia is one of the main trafficking routes in Europe. The region's coast has a countless number of bays, inlets and caves, where traffickers have easier games than other places.

Spain is the country in Europe which last year seized the second most cocaine, namely, 41 tons. Only in Belgium was there seized more.

/ritzau/AFP