Moroccan Trucker Sentenced to 5 Years for Smuggling 589 kg of Cannabis on French Highway

At the age of 52 and having never had to deal with the French justice system, the man was given a heavy sentence of five years in prison, as well as a customs fine of 1.170 million euros for the illicit transport of cannabis. The prosecution had requested 8 years in prison, according to actu.fr.

The seizure had taken place on May 10, when customs officers from Montpellier inspected the vehicle parked in a parking lot and discovered the merchandise. The latter is estimated at more than 1.1 million euros on the wholesale market and could reach nearly six million euros when resold at retail.

To defend himself before the judge, the Moroccan driver stated that he was traveling from Morocco to the Netherlands, passing through Spain, on the orders of his employer. He insisted that he was unaware of the illegal nature of the cargo he was transporting. After his custody and following the investigation by the Territorial Directorate of the Judicial Police of Montpellier, the individual was brought before the Béziers public prosecutor’s office and then placed in pre-trial detention until his appearance before the court. After the announcement of the judgment, he was sent back to prison.