Truck driver convicted of smuggling 125 kg of cocaine

A 41-year-old Lithuanian truck driver has been sentenced to 13 years in prison by the District Court in Nykøbing Falster for smuggling 125 kg of cocaine into Denmark. He has also been expelled from the country with a permanent re-entry ban. The verdict has been appealed.

The case originates from an inspection in Rødbyhavn on 24 April last year, when the truck arrived by ferry. The vehicle was transporting a regular shipment for a Danish company and had the relevant freight documents, but it was selected for inspection due to suspicion of smuggling.

During the inspection, one of the police drug detection dogs reacted at a diesel tank on the truck. The vehicle combination was then driven to the Danish Customs Agency’s inspection garage, where a scan showed solid material inside the tank.

The diesel tank was subsequently removed. It turned out to have been modified, and inside the tank the authorities found the 125 kg of cocaine.

During the case it emerged that the driver worked for a Lithuanian haulage company. The company’s role is still being investigated in connection with similar cases in other European countries.

The case has been handled by the Eastern Immigration Control Department, and the investigation has included cooperation with foreign authorities and technical examinations.

:NB: