The incident, reported by the Regional Customs Directorate of Perpignan, took place at the Le Boulou toll plaza on the A9 motorway in the Pyrénées-Orientales department of southern France, according to regional press. A motorist driving a Hungarian-registered Tesla had just crossed the border from Spain when he was stopped by officers from the Internal Surveillance Brigade.
But the real hero of this bust was on four legs. During the routine check, the customs dog sprang into action. While inspecting the car's bodywork, the dog's instincts were spot on. It gave several clear positive indications on different areas of the electric vehicle, unmistakably signalling the presence of illicit goods on board.
30 kilos of cocaine in the Tesla
Trusting their canine partner's instincts, the customs officers immediately conducted a thorough and meticulous search of the Tesla. Their suspicions quickly turned to astonishment when they uncovered 26 blocks of cocaine, weighing an impressive total of 30.93 kilos (nearly 68.2 lbs).
Thanks to the dog's surgical precision, a massive quantity of drugs was removed from the black market before it could even be distributed within the country.
A hefty sentence
The driver was immediately taken into customs custody and had to face justice for his actions. Tried at the Perpignan judicial court, the man was found guilty of transporting and importing narcotics.
The verdict was delivered: the defendant was sentenced to three years in prison and banned from French territory for 10 years. To top it all off, the court imposed an astronomical customs fine of €1,546,500. A colossal sum that serves as a stark reminder that when you're up against the nose of a trained sniffer dog, crime simply doesn't pay.