Around a Million Psychoactive Pills Seized at Sid, Driver Arrested
At the Sid border crossing, on the exit from Serbia, police found around a million pills inside a truck trailer and arrested the driver, who was remanded into custody for up to 30 days.
- At the Sid border crossing, on the exit from Serbia, police and the Border Police Directorate found around a million pills from the list of psychoactive substances.
- The pills were hidden inside a truck trailer, with a total weight of about 165 kilograms.
- The driver, D. M. (41), was arrested, and a sizeable amount of foreign currency was found on him.
- On the prosecutor's order he was first detained for 48 hours, after which a judge ordered custody for up to 30 days.
Police found around a million pills from the list of psychoactive substances inside a truck trailer at the Sid border crossing, on the exit from Serbia. The pills, weighing roughly 165 kilograms, were discovered during a routine vehicle check carried out by the Interior Ministry together with the Border Police Directorate.
The truck driver, D. M. (41), was arrested on suspicion of organising the transport of the consignment. A sizeable amount of foreign currency was also found on him, according to the authorities. The suspect is charged with the unlawful production and trafficking of narcotics.
What exactly was found at the crossing?
This is one of the larger seizures of its kind at a border crossing toward a neighbouring country. The packages of pills were arranged inside the cargo section of the trailer, among the declared goods, which police say pointed to an attempt to hide the consignment from inspection.
The pills belong to a group of substances on the official list of psychoactive substances, whose production and trade are strictly regulated by law. Beyond the goods themselves, the foreign cash found on the driver also drew the investigators’ attention.
The key facts of the case, according to the information so far, are as follows:
- location: Sid border crossing, on the exit from Serbia
- found: around a million pills, weighing roughly 165 kilograms
- arrested: the truck driver, D. M. (41)
- additional: a sizeable amount of foreign currency found on the suspect
- charge: unlawful production and trafficking of narcotics
How is the case against the suspect proceeding?
On the order of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Sremska Mitrovica, the suspect was first detained for up to 48 hours. After questioning, the pre-trial judge ordered him into custody.
The suspect was remanded into custody for up to 30 days on reasonable suspicion that he committed the criminal offence of unlawful production and trafficking of narcotics.
Custody at this stage serves to ensure the smooth running of the investigation and to prevent any interference with evidence or flight. In the coming period the prosecution will establish the origin of the consignment and whether the driver acted alone or as part of a wider group.
For now the suspect is presumed innocent until any guilt is established by a final court ruling. The size of the seized quantity, however, suggests the consignment was intended for further distribution rather than personal use.
Will ever more frequent checks at exit crossings be enough to stop the smuggling of pills toward the region?
