MADRID, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Spanish National Police on Tuesday confirmed that they have arrested a 48-year-old man who was carrying 482 kilograms of cocaine in the van he was driving.
The man was arrested in the town of Xirvella in the region of Valencia in the east of Spain after failing to stop at a police checkpoint at around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The driver apparently accelerated through the checkpoint situated in one of Xirvella's main squares, forcing officers to take evasive action.
The police immediately gave pursuit with the van, which was stopped after a three-kilometer chase. Upon stop, the police discovered the 482 kilos of cocaine, which had been hidden in 22 different bags, some of which were described as "wet and covered in sand".
The police inform the drug had been divided into rectangular packets, wrapped in plastic and weighing a kilo apiece, adding that the cocaine is of "exceptional purity", with a street value of around 15 million euros (17.6 million U.S. dollars).
They also explain the detainee was carrying 1,000 euros in cash, which is thought to have been his payment for acting as a courier and that he had previous convictions for similar offences.
The driver was arrested on charges of endangering public health and is now in police custody, while the investigation continues with authorities not ruling out further arrests. Enditem
