Customs inspect refrigerated truck on A36

During a routine inspection on the A36 highway, a customs team from Besançon selected a refrigerated truck with Polish license plates at the Chevaney service area in Doubs. The truck was heading north and was carrying a load of onions packed in large bags from Spain to Germany.

Inconsistencies prompt deeper inspection

Agents noticed inconsistencies in the transport documents and decided to conduct a more thorough inspection, despite the challenges of handling the cargo. During the search, they discovered boxes hidden within the onion load at the back of the trailer.

Hidden cannabis found in onion load

The boxes contained packets of cannabis leaves. The Polish driver was immediately placed under customs detention. The truck was then moved to a unloading site to fully unload the cargo.

Large quantities of cannabis discovered

The unloading revealed 59 packets of cannabis leaves weighing 65.5 kg and 36 packets of cannabis resin weighing 356.5 kg. After the customs process, the driver was handed over to the Besançon police, and the drugs were destroyed. The onions could not be donated due to their degraded condition from high temperatures.

Customs highlight common drug concealment method

Customs noted that hiding drugs in truckloads of vegetables is a common tactic. They cited a similar discovery in November 2025 in Marseille, where 329 kg of cannabis and 27 kg of cocaine were found in a load of fresh produce.

French customs seize large amounts of cannabis

In 2025, French customs seized 67.73 tonnes of cannabis, including 21.62 tonnes of resin and 31.49 tonnes of leaves. Approximately 74.8% of these seizures occurred on land.