Moroccan Trucker Jailed for 2 Years in Narbonne Cannabis Smuggling Case

The customs had intercepted Abdelkadir, 31, in Narbonne, on March 8 last, with some 144 kg of cannabis herb in his truck, reports L’Indépendant. This Moroccan truck driver residing in Spain since 2008 claims not to have known what he was transporting.

"This is not really a new case for our jurisdiction," declares Public Prosecutor Marie-Agnès Joly before recalling the facts. "He says he didn’t know. This is not conceivable. A truck driver must know what he is transporting. Two days of stopover in La Jonquera were not to pick daisies," she says. She will add that when the doors of the truck were opened, a strong smell of cannabis was escaping.

"His arrest follows an anonymous phone call from Spain. In addition, he was never worried during the check as the customs officers indicated. There was no odor, because the drugs were packaged in heat-sealed bags," argues his lawyer Me Beaiz.

"He is the scapegoat in this case, he was duped, he was sacrificed, manipulated," he said. These words are far from convincing the judge. His request for acquittal was rejected. The verdict is in: the court sentenced the defendant to 2 years in prison, 5 years of ban from French territory and a fine of 50,000 €.