Vienne court sentences driver for 68 kg cocaine seizure

A court in Vienne has sentenced a Macedonian truck driver, Mirsad Fakic, to four years in prison following the seizure of over 68 kg of cocaine on the A7 motorway in Isère, France. The drugs, which possessed an exceptionally high purity level of 91% to 92%, were valued at approximately 1.7 million euros.

Customs agents from Lyon intercepted the heavy goods vehicle at the Grande Borne rest area in Auberives-sur-Varèze during the night of October 21-22. A customs dog alerted officers to a concealed compartment located behind the driver's bunk. The shipment was traveling from Barcelona, Spain, and was destined for Belgium.

During the trial, the defendant claimed he had accepted 6,000 euros to transport what he believed was 25 kg of cannabis. He cited his wife's medical expenses as a motivation for the crime. In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a two-million-euro customs fine and a permanent ban from French territory. The driver is a repeat offender, having previously been fined for transporting ketamine.