A Romanian driver was sentenced to four years in France after customs officers found 407 kilograms of cannabis in the trailer of his truck

A 39-year-old Romanian truck driver was sentenced to four years in prison in France after customs officers discovered 407 kilograms of cannabis resin hidden in his truck trailer. The man was stopped for inspection on Thursday, October 22, in the Adrets de l’Estérel rest area on the A8 motorway.

The drugs were hidden in 14 boxes among Christmas products destined for the Italian market. The truck had been loaded in Barcelona, and the shipment was due to arrive in Rome. Initially, the driver denied the accusations, but later admitted that he had agreed to transport what he had been told was “chocolate.”

Before investigators, the Romanian said he had major debts and that his mother was ill. He was due to receive 5,000 euros for the delivery. In addition to the prison sentence, the Draguignan Criminal Court imposed a permanent ban on entering France and a customs fine of 3.26 million euros.

His lawyer argued that the man had been exploited by traffickers who prey on people facing financial difficulties. Prosecutors have launched international cooperation efforts to identify those who organized the shipment.

The case is part of a series of seizures on the A8 motorway. Recently, another Romanian driver was caught in France with 110 kilograms of cocaine hidden among car parts.