The Guardia Civil has arrested a motorist on suspicion of drug trafficking after officers discovered 348 grams of cocaine hidden beneath the rear seat of his vehicle.
The driver was stopped on the A-7 motorway near Puerto Lumbreras after traffic officers noticed that his car had several dents, a broken headlight and an ITV roadworthiness certificate that had expired more than three years earlier.
Officers followed the vehicle to the next exit, in the municipality of Huércal-Overa, intending to inform the driver of the traffic offences.
After stopping the car and identifying its driver, officers noticed that he appeared unusually and disproportionately nervous, raising suspicions that he might be concealing something illegal.
A precautionary search was carried out, during which officers found a package hidden beneath the rear seat, which had been removed from its mounting.
The traffic patrol requested assistance from officers at the Guardia Civil’s main station in Huércal-Overa. The driver and vehicle were taken to the station, where the package was opened and weighed.
It contained 348 grams of a white powder that tested positive for cocaine during a roadside narcotics test.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of committing an offence against public health through drug trafficking. The cocaine was seized and the vehicle allegedly used to transport it was impounded.
Under Article 368 of Spain’s Criminal Code, drug trafficking offences of this nature may carry a prison sentence of between three and six years, together with a fine of up to three times the value of the drugs involved.
The Guardia Civil has reiterated that drug trafficking is a serious offence against public health and has appealed for public cooperation in helping to prevent such criminal activity.
