Pyrénées-Orientales: 71.5 kg of cocaine seized on motorcycle at Le Perthus, a record
French customs officers intercepted 71.5 kg of cocaine on a motorcycle at the Franco-Spanish border. The trafficker was sentenced to five years in prison.
Record cocaine seizure at Le Perthus: 71.5 kilos hidden in motorcycle saddlebags
French customs officers intercepted 71.5 kilograms of cocaine on a motorcycle on 11 May at the Le Perthus crossing point, on the border between France and Spain, according to France Info. This is the largest quantity ever seized on this type of vehicle in France.
The check took place in the mid-afternoon at the main barrier at Le Perthus, in the Pyrénées-Orientales. Officers from the internal surveillance unit immobilised a motorcycle registered in Spain and discovered the drugs hidden in the side saddlebags as well as in a travel bag strapped to the rear of the vehicle.
Customs announced the seizure on Monday 18 May, a week after the incident. According to them, never before had such a quantity of cocaine been transported on a motorcycle on French territory.
The driver of the vehicle was tried by the Perpignan court at the end of the previous week. He was found guilty and sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with continued detention. The judgment also includes a ban from French territory lasting ten years and a customs fine of €3,575,000.
Source: France Info