Major Cocaine Seizure at Italian-French Border
VENTIMIGLIA,Italy – Italian police have seized approximately 230 kilograms of cocaine and arrested a Slovak truck driver at the Ventimiglia border crossing,a key point of entry from France. The estimated street value of the seized drugs is up to 50 million euros.
The arrest occurred during a routine control, part of increased patrols conducted jointly by Italian and French authorities. Police became suspicious of the driver due to his “uncertain and unreasonably nervous” driving, according to reports.
After pulling the truck over, officers noted the driver’s increasing confusion. He presented his documents with shaking hands and voluntarily went to the rear of the trailer to demonstrate the seal on the cap was intact. This behavior prompted a more thorough search,extending beyond the trailer itself to the vehicle’s cabin.
During the search, officers discovered seven large sports bags and several textile packages concealed in storage areas and on the driver’s upper bed.These contained a total of 200 packages of pure cocaine, weighing around 230 kilograms.
The truck and the cocaine were promptly confiscated. The Slovak driver was taken into custody at the Ventimiglia border police department, formally charged with international drug trafficking, and transferred to a prison in sanremo to await trial.
Italian investigators are currently working to determine if the driver was operating as part of a larger smuggling operation or if this was an isolated incident. the investigation is ongoing.
