HIBAPRESS – Mohamed Zerouih
Elements of the Spanish Civil Guard at the port of occupied Melilla have apprehended a car driver, suspected of involvement in drug trafficking, after discovering 25.1 kilograms of hashish tightly hidden inside the fuel tank. This occurred during a security operation that preceded passengers boarding a ferry bound for Malaga, Spain.
According to a statement issued by the Civil Guard, the operation took place in the early hours of October 19th, as vehicles were undergoing routine inspection procedures before departure. A "Citroen DS3" car aroused the suspicion of security personnel after abnormal indicators were detected, leading to a more thorough inspection.
Civil Guard elements utilized drug-sniffing dogs, which responded positively in several parts of the car, reinforcing initial suspicions and paving the way for an in-depth search that resulted in the discovery of 56 packages of hashish hidden inside the fuel tank in a hard-to-reach location, necessitating the use of special tools to retrieve the seized items.
The total weight of the seized drugs reached 25.1 kilograms. The driver, an adult male residing in Spain, was arrested and placed at the disposal of the judiciary, suspected of committing a public health offense through drug trafficking. The car, suspected of being used to transport these prohibited substances, was also impounded.
The Civil Guard estimated that the operation prevented approximately 100,000 doses of hashish from reaching the illegal market, noting that the success of the intervention was due to the security personnel's expertise in risk analysis, as well as the role of the drug-sniffing dog unit. This operation is part of the control and inspection measures carried out by the Spanish authorities at the port of occupied Melilla to combat drug smuggling.
