Guinean diplomat based in Rabat gets suspended sentence for smuggling 513 kg of tobacco into Spain

One year in prison, but the sentence was suspended for two years. On October 29, a court in Ceuta sentenced K. S., a Guinean diplomat assigned to his country’s embassy in Rabat, for smuggling. The defendant admitted the charges as part of an agreement with the prosecutor’s office.

The case dates back to June 25. At around 11 a.m., the man tried to leave Ceuta for Morocco behind the wheel of a gray Mercedes. Spain’s Civil Guard and customs officers stopped him in the exit lane at the Tarajal border crossing and searched the vehicle.

They found 851 packages of shisha tobacco, weighing 512.9 kilograms, as well as numerous perfumes and other goods. According to El Pueblo de Ceuta, the packages of Al Fakher tobacco had been brought into Spanish territory without being declared to customs.

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The driver was arrested and brought before a judge the following day. Released pending trial, he appeared before Ceuta’s criminal court four months later.

A sentence negotiated with the prosecutor’s office

At the October 29 hearing, the diplomat, assisted by a French-speaking interpreter, accepted the charges and the proposed sentence. The agreement reached between his lawyer and the public prosecutor allowed the court to rule without hearing witnesses.

His lack of a criminal record enabled him to have his prison sentence suspended for two years. To avoid prison, he must commit no further offenses during that period.

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The sentence also includes a fine and a tax debt related to the seized goods. Failure to pay the fine could result in an additional three days in detention.