MADRID: A man smuggled cannabis worth more than £100,000 into Devon inside the bodywork and spare tyre of his car aboard a ferry, a court has been told.
Carlos Maldonado-Lopez, aged 36, from Spain brought more than 10kilos in of the drug from Santander on a Britanny Ferries ship, a jury was told. Border Force officers found the cannabis in more than 70 packages hidden in five locations inside the Nissan.
Maldonado-Lopez claimed he knew nothing of the drugs, saying he was just looking for work in a restaurant. The unemployed waiter, of Granada in Andalucia, is on trial after denying being concerned in an attempt to evade the ban on importation of a Class B drug on September 8 last year.
Piers Norwsorthy, opening the case for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Border Force officers stopped Maldonado-Lopez after he left the Pont-Aven at about 5.30pm on September 8 last year.
The defendant was stopped at Millbay Docks. He added that the defendant’s Spanish-registered silver Nissan vehicle was searched in a customs hall at Plymouth Ferry Port in Millbay. Mr Norsworthy said officers noticed that something was rattling in the spare tyre in the boot of the car.
He added that they cut open the tyre and found nine packages inside. Mr Norsworthy said officers discovered 13 further packages in a wheel arch; 12 in an air vent inside the engine compartment; 18 more from the passenger side rear quarter panel inside the car; and 21 from the driver’s side rear quarter panel inside the car.
He added the packages contained 10.65 kilos of cannabis worth an estimated £106,580 if sold in grams.
