Police seize 540 kilos of cocaine on the A-66 at Mérida
The National Police arrested two people after intercepting a vehicle carrying more than half a tonne of cocaine on motorway A-66. One of those arrested is a minor.
Operation Rider: 540 kilos of cocaine seized on the Silver Route motorway
The National Police intercepted a car transporting 540 kilograms of cocaine on the A-66, the Silver Route motorway, in the early hours of Tuesday 25 August at kilometre 692, in the municipality of Mérida. According to reports, the operation resulted in the arrest of the two occupants of the vehicle, who are under investigation for alleged offences of document falsification and drug trafficking.
The operation, codenamed Rider and originating from Seville, was based on "information gathered by officers themselves", according to a statement issued by the National Police on Thursday. During the investigation, detectives established that a vehicle already under police surveillance could be circulating on the A-66 with narcotics on board. A tracking operation was immediately activated, which culminated in the interception of the car at the designated kilometre point.
An inspection of the vehicle revealed 18 packages of cocaine with evident signs of moisture and wrapped in netting, a method typically associated with the recovery of consignments from water. Each package contained 30 smaller packets of approximately one kilogramme, totalling 540 kilos of the substance.
The legal status of the two detainees differs markedly. One of them is a minor: following instructions from the Public Prosecutor's Office for Minors, he was handed over to his parents. The second detainee, an adult, will be brought before the competent judicial authority in the coming days for his legal status to be determined. The investigation remains open with the aim of clarifying the origin of the shipment and the possible involvement of other individuals.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)