The 62 year old defendant flew to Palma airport from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, on October 22, 2019. He was wearing a yellow polo shirt and jeans and had five kilos of cocaine in 11 packages hidden in the false bottoms of two suitcases.
The Guardia Civil Officer who arrested him at Son Sant Joan Airport said he found the man sitting at Customs with a suitcase.
"He told me he was waiting for a woman who was coming on another flight and I asked him to come with me,” said the Officer. “I X-rayed the suitcase, then broke the padlock with a pair of scissors, there was another leather suitcase inside and we could see the drugs.
The defendant told the court that he knew what he was carrying in the suitcase.
"A person handed me the suitcase with the padlock in exchange for 5,000 euros. I came from the Dominican Republic in these same clothes. I knew I was bringing drugs, but I didn't know the amount,” he told the court.
He also claimed that he was forced to traffick the cocaine to pay debts in the United States.
"The person who handed me the suitcase told me to take it to Spain and said that I would have no problems. I don't know anything about drugs, I’ve heard of cocaine, but I've never seen it in my hand,” he told the court.
At that point, Anti-Drug Prosecutor, Julio Cano lost his temper and asked if he knew he was introducing cocaine into Spain.
"Look, this is the last time I'm going to ask you, so think for two minutes before answering,” said Cano. “Did you ever think you were carrying cocaine in your suitcase?”
“Yes, I thought so," he confessed, "they paid me a lot of money to bring a suitcase with a padlock,” he confessed.
He was given a six year sentence and fined 435,000 euros, but may be expelled from Spain after 3 years and banned from returning to the country for 10 years.
He testified that he has nine grandchildren in the Dominican Republic and has asked to be repatriated, but for now he will remain in jail in Spain.
The defendant was also given the opportunity to address the court and read out a statement, which included an excerpt from the Bible.
"I apologise to Spanish society for making this mistake. I had a debt in the United States and could not work because I had a heart attack. I have no family and nothing else in Spain. I am a Christian and I have my Bible and I want to read you Chapter 6, Verse 37, Amen,” he said.
Before the trial the prosecution had demanded that the defendant be jailed for eight years and fined 900,000 euros, but the sentence was reduced after Defence and Prosecution Lawyers reached agreement.
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