Dakar rally team try to smuggle 1.4 tonnes cocaine back to Europe

[StoneHappyMonday]

Dakar rally team from Spain 'smuggle 1.4 tonnes of cocaine back from South America'

The owner and co-founder of a Spanish Dakar Rally team is in custody in Madrid after French authorities discovered about 1.4 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a truck belonging to the team on its return from South America.

David Oliveras is the director of the Barcelona-based Epsilon Team, which provides technical assistance and preparation for trucks competing in the Dakar Rally.

Authorities said they had found 1.393 tonnes of cocaine wrapped tightly in plastic and hidden inside the large radial tyres in one of the team's trucks after it arrived on Wednesday at the northern French port of Le Havre. The ship carrying the 8x8 all-terrain truck was loaded with vehicles returning from last month's Dakar rally – a nearly 6,000-mile journey that wound its way through Argentina, Bolivia and Chile before ending in Valparaíso, Chile.

Audacious!

 

[opi8]

I wonder how they got caught. They certainly had balls to do that, but it might have worked too, if it wasn't for those pesky kids.

 

[maxalfie]

I wonder if the authorities had some intelligence about the smuggling attempt as wouldn't seem like an obvious target for smuggling in my eyes.
Still, unlucky was a good try.

 

[PepperSocks]

I'd guess they thought they're professional sportsmen image would grant them free, superficial inspection passage. Authorities succeed in sending message to the contrary.

 

[opi8]

The article says they were acting on intelligence, so it sounds like someone ratted them out.

 

[LogicSoDeveloped]

The article says they were acting on intelligence, so it sounds like someone ratted them out.

Absolutely, its ridiculous for law enforcement to take the credit for this. The ironic thing is it is technically against procedure for police officers to get people to 'rat,' its just such a small slap on the wrist that its commonly done.