During an inspection carried out at the Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône) toll booth, on the night of Thursday 20 November to Friday 21 November, customs discovered the item. Nearly 350 kilograms of illegal drugs, marijuana and cocaine, were found in a van, hidden in a pile of fresh fruit and vegetables intended to be sent to Marseille, the customs service said this Wednesday in a press release.
That evening, at around 23.00, customs officers from the Marseille brigade stationed at the Arles toll gate decided to carry out checks on vehicles using the A54 and stopped utility vehicles registered in France.
When questioned at a neighboring rest area, the driver produced transport documents stating the classic commercial cargo, consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables, had come from Spain and was intended to be sent to Marseille.
A load headed for Marseille
During the inspection, the driver presented valid transport documents, stating the cargo of classic commercial goods, consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables, coming from Spain and bound for Marseille, according to customs.
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But those agents have sharp noses. While inspecting the vehicle’s cargo, accompanied by a team of special dogs, they discovered, hidden behind a facade of fruit and vegetables, several bags of rubbish as well as five “Moroccan suitcases”, which are typical of transporting large quantities of cannabis.
Inside the bag, agents found dozens of loaves of bread, some containing marijuana resin, others cocaine. “Detection tests carried out on site confirmed the nature of these two products”, explained the customs service in their press release.
Fruit and vegetables are donated to Restos du Cœur
Ultimately, a thorough search of the vehicle revealed 404 crates of fruit and vegetables, concealing 329.32 kg of cannabis and 27.18 kg of cocaine, with a street value of more than 4 million euros. After the drugs were confiscated, 404 crates of fresh fruit and vegetables were given to the Restos du Cœur association, amid a winter collection campaign for the most deprived people, according to custom.
When questioned, the driver “could not justify this detention”, customs explained, which placed him in “customs detention” on the orders of the Tarascon prosecutor’s office, the equivalent of police custody at customs. An investigation was opened, entrusted to Ofast (Anti-Narcotics Office) in Marseille.
Appearing in person this Tuesday, the man asked for additional time to “prepare his defense”. He will be arraigned on January 27 before the Tarascon court. Meanwhile, he was placed in pre-trial detention, customs officials said.
