Operation Methabunga bungled

Residents of the Costa Azul neighborhood of Playas de Tijuana last week led police to a surfboard that had washed up on the beach; it had been hollowed out and stuffed with packets of crystal methamphetamine.

Investigators said the surfboard also had a battery-powered electric motor capable of being guided by remote control, which prompted them to conclude the “ingenious device” was being used to smuggle drugs into the United States, according to a June 18 report in El Sol de Tijuana.

The surfboard was first spotted around dusk on Tuesday, June 16, according to the newspaper. Initial witnesses described the item as a “fake submarine.”

After tearing off the fiberglass deck, authorities discovered 22 plastic bags of methamphetamine hidden in the surfboard, which was about ten feet long by three feet wide, El Sol reported.

Tijuana police said the drugs had a value of at least $100,000.

The surfboard had a propeller and a small motor powered by eight batteries, according to the newspaper.

Investigators theorized that water penetrated the electrical system, leaving the board adrift, said El Sol. Waves eventually washed the powerless surfboard ashore.

The case has been turned over to federal authorities, who have opened an investigation into the device and who is responsible for it.