Moroccan Trucker Acquitted in 240kg Drug Bust at French Border

The facts date back to mid-December. Coming from Morocco, a Moroccan truck driver crosses Spain before joining France. His final destination is Paris. Arrived in Salses-le-Château, he attracts the attention of the customs officers. With the help of a sniffer dog, they discover 240 kg of pollen hidden in the trailer of the truck. Arrested, the truck driver "says he took charge of the trailer in Tangier", because "he had to replace at short notice a sick driver", reports L’Indépendant. Before he began his journey, the Moroccan authorities had placed a seal on the door. Unconvincing arguments in the eyes of the French authorities. The truck driver will then be brought before the Perpignan court.

During the trial, the prosecutor doubts the sincerity of the defendant. "It so happens that this gentleman tells us that he has already been arrested in 2019 under the same circumstances, she points out. She continues: "He just told us that it’s the 2nd time this has happened to him. Strange, because we don’t find any trace of this procedure that would have been done in Bayonne. In any case, we can doubt his good faith." The prosecutor then requests 3 years in prison and a customs fine corresponding to the value of the goods. The gram of pollen is estimated at 10 €.

Lawyer Chassonnaud takes up the defense of his client. "Since the beginning, he has given only one and only version," he counters. He will add: "He has fully cooperated with the authorities and the analysis of the telephone does not show any suspicious element. He hooked a trailer already loaded and checked by the previous driver to his tractor, its control did not fall to him. We therefore have serious doubts about the intentional element. This doubt must obviously benefit him."

The court follows the lawyer’s argument and pronounces the acquittal of the Moroccan truck driver.