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.  

A statement follows below:

On Friday 1st 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.’