Strange wreck discovered off Cape Verde with lead-lined crates all empty

A team of divers taking part in an observation campaign off Cape Verde has reported the discovery of an unlisted wreck lying several dozen metres below the surface. The badly deteriorated vessel does not currently match any ship officially reported missing in the area in recent years. The strangest part of the discovery lies in a hold that remains partly accessible. There, the divers photographed a series of reinforced crates lined with lead plates and secured with corroded locking mechanisms. Every one of them was open. Every one was empty. No legible marking revealed what they had originally contained. Several securing cables appeared to have been torn from the inside or broken during the sinking, though it has not been possible to determine when. Cape Verde’s maritime authorities have temporarily cordoned off the area for examination. Researchers are urging the public not to fuel speculation. That has not stopped social media from erupting with theories involving military cargo, smuggling and maritime legends. One thing is certain: no one yet knows what the crates carried.