Guardia Civil officers in the Region of Murcia have arrested a French national after discovering nearly three kilos of marijuana inside a vehicle in San Pedro del Pinatar. The incident took place on Wednesday during a routine checkpoint on the N-322, close to a well-known shopping centre.

Officers on patrol became suspicious when a car made unusual movements and failed to stop when instructed. The vehicle was halted a short distance later, and the sole occupant, a twenty-nine-year-old man, told officers he did not understand Spanish. Checks confirmed the car was a rental.

During a search, officers noticed a strong smell of marijuana. Seventeen grams were found under the driver’s seat, while a toy gun was discovered beneath the front passenger seat. Three mobile phones were also recovered from inside the vehicle.

In the boot, officers located three plastic-wrapped packages initially described by the driver as rolling tobacco. They were later confirmed to contain almost three kilos of dried marijuana. The man has been arrested on suspicion of a public health offence related to drug trafficking.