Cocaine Hidden in Suitcase Supports Costs Traveler Four Years in Spanish Prison
After a flight that included a stop in Casablanca, a man was arrested at Málaga airport with nearly 712 grams of cocaine hidden in the reinforcements of his suitcases. Spain’s courts have now upheld his sentence of four years and three months in prison.
On 31 October 2025, a passenger completed a journey that began in Lima, Peru. He had a layover in São Paulo, then in Casablanca, before landing in Málaga. On the scanner screen, the reinforcements in his checked suitcase caught the agents’ attention: they appeared unusually thick and heavy.
His carry-on bag, a small blue trolley, had the same unusual feature. When questioned, the man said a friend had given him the suitcases, but he could no longer remember his name. The agents brought in a drug-detection dog, which alerted to both bags.
After removing the protective bars, investigators found a pink paste with a strong smell. A drug test on the substance came back negative. They then broke open the reinforcements and found a white powder: cocaine, according to the 12 May 2026 ruling.
Two suitcases, 711.90 grams of cocaine
The checked suitcase concealed 453.30 grams of cocaine; the carry-on bag, 258.60 grams. In total, 711.90 grams, valued at 42 820 euros on the illicit market. The court found that at least some of this quantity was intended for trafficking.
The route recalls a 2015 case: a woman arriving from São Paulo in Casablanca was due to continue on to Málaga with cocaine. This time, the bags gave up their secret on Spanish soil.
Before the judges, the traveler said he was unaware of the drugs and challenged the way the evidence had been stored. These arguments were rejected. The Málaga Provincial Court sentenced him to four years and three months in prison and fined him 50 000 euros.
On 27 October 2026, Europa Press reported that the High Court of Justice of Andalusia had rejected his appeal. The prison sentence, fine and confiscation of the drugs were upheld.
