Cocaine trafficking in Vaucluse: Dutch driver sentenced to five years
Avignon customs officials seized 173 kg of cocaine from a heavy goods vehicle on 27 October. The Dutch driver was sentenced to five years in prison and a fine of 11 million euros.
Major seizure at Avignon
According to BFM TV and confirmed by the Nîmes public prosecutor's office, a driver of Dutch nationality was sentenced on Monday 2 November by the Nîmes criminal court for transporting approximately 173 kg of cocaine aboard his heavy goods vehicle. The court imposed a sentence of five years' imprisonment, a fine of 11 million euros — equivalent to the value of the goods — and a ban from entering French territory for 15 years.
Traffic control on the A9
The facts date back to 27 October 2026. Officers from the Avignon customs enforcement unit carried out a traffic control on the A9 motorway, at the level of the municipalities of Remoulins and Tavel in the Gard. A narcotics detection dog identified the vehicle of the Dutch driver. During the search, customs officers discovered seven sports bags concealed in a pallet rack, containing the cocaine in the form of cellophane packages.
Partial admissions by the defendant
The driver had initially claimed to the officers that he was heading to the Bouches-du-Rhône to collect a shipment of avocados before returning to the Netherlands. After his arrest, he admitted to having lied about the nature of the cargo. However, he denied knowing the exact quantity of narcotics being transported, an assertion that the judges did not accept. The court also ordered the confiscation and destruction of the seized goods.
Source: BFM TV