Priest from Cuenca intercepted in Madrid with Viagra and poppers alongside young man
Municipal Police in Madrid's Centro district stopped the priest's vehicle after observing suspicious manoeuvres on Carrera de San Francisco. He was released as an investigated person not detained.
Priest identified with sexual substances in central Madrid
Officers from the Municipal Police in Madrid's Centro district intercepted a 52-year-old priest from Cuenca province on Sunday afternoon after finding several blister packs of sildenafil—the active ingredient in Viagra—and various bottles of poppers in his vehicle. The priest was travelling accompanied by a 25-year-old Peruvian man. According to El Mundo, the priest was released at the end of proceedings with the status of investigated person not detained.
The incident occurred at around 18.00 hours on Carrera de San Francisco, next to the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande. A patrol detected a car that was sharply reducing speed, stopping momentarily and resuming movement erratically. Following this behaviour, the officers decided to pull over the vehicle.
Once the car was immobilised, the police officers identified the driver, who stated he was a priest stationed in Cuenca, and his passenger. Both denied carrying narcotic substances. However, the nervous attitude of both occupants led the officers to search the interior of the vehicle.
During the search, police located four blister packs of 100-milligramme sildenafil and one of 200 milligrammes, hidden among documents and personal belongings of the driver. The priest acknowledged that the medications were his property, but provided no medical prescription to justify his possession of them. The same search also uncovered several open bottles of poppers, both among the driver's possessions and in a bag belonging to his passenger.
The priest claimed he believed he was not committing any crime and added that, in his understanding, the offence would only occur if he were carrying more than one hundred tablets.
The officers took the priest to the Centro district police station, where a record of intervention in drug matters was formalised and the seized substances were handed over. After giving a statement, he was released as an investigated person not detained.
In Spain, sildenafil requires a valid medical prescription for dispensing in pharmacies. The sale of prescription medications through unauthorised channels is not permitted. Poppers, meanwhile, are classified as an illegal substance in the country: their sale and inhalation are prohibited and are commonly associated with chemsex practices.
Source: El Mundo