In an Enforcement operation conducted at the Land Frontier by Officers of the HM Customs Flexible Anti-Smuggling Team, a 38-year-old local man was arrested and approximately 100 grams of a preparation containing cocaine was seized.   

On Friday 1^st March 2024 at around 16:30, FAS Team Officers challenged a local man as he drove into Gibraltar through the Green Vehicular Channel on a black moped. When signaled to pull over into the search bay by the Officers the individual initially appeared to comply but then suddenly accelerated, attempting to leave the examination area and evade the control.

The Officers promptly responded and managed to physically restrain the individual. The individual was then escorted into Four Corners Station and taken into a private room for the purpose of conducting a search of his person. During the course of the search, the Officers found a plastic bag containing compressed white powder suspected to be cocaine. The suspect was cautioned and arrested on suspicion of being in possession, the importation of and possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

The full amount of the drug seized was weighed and found to be approximately 100 grams, which has an approximate street value of £6000. A search warrant was subsequently executed at a local address but nothing of relevance to the investigation was found. The man was thereafter taken to New Mole House Police Station, where he was interviewed before being released on bail whilst the investigation continues.     

The Collector of Customs, John Payas, would once again like to commend his officers for their hard work, determination and dedication to service. He said: ‘This is a significant seizure of cocaine made at the land frontier, intended for the local market, and will no doubt have an impact on the organized criminal group that is behind this importation, depriving them of the proceeds of the sale of the drugs, disrupting the supply chain and contributing to the protection of the local community.’

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo, said: ‘Keeping hard drugs coming from Spain out of Gibraltar is a key part of what Customs do and will always do, even if we have a treaty between the UK and the EU which delivers maximum fluidity on a 'Schengen style' basis. I am grateful to our officers in HM Customs who do such an excellent job in keeping out drugs that will now not make their way into the illicit market here and will not ruin Gibraltar residents' lives.’