You are Simion (gds.ro)
A Romanian TIR driver was fined no less than 1 million euros in France, writes Digi24 citing the publication ziarulromanesc.de.
French police stopped the man on Jan. 28 on the A9 highway in Gard, France. According to the documents, it was supposed to transport cauliflower and pumpkins.
In the vehicle, the police found six bags full of cannabis, with a total weight of 159.90 kilograms. The Romanian, who was judged by a court in the city of Nîmes, said that he agreed to transport the bags he picked up from Spain and which were supposed to arrive in Germany.
The prosecutor’s office asked for a five-year prison sentence, and the Regional Customs Department asked for a fine of 1.5 million euros, which is the market value of the transported drugs. But the judges determined that he should spend four years in prison and pay a fine of one million euros.
How the Romanian explained his act
“I had debts. I have a lot of money problems. (…) I was assured that I would receive 15,000 euros after delivery and they told me that in Germany it is legal”, he said in court. However, the Romanian was admonished by the judge. “At 55 years old, do you still believe in Santa Claus? Do you follow the news? (…) You are a link in this criminal scheme”, the president of the court told him. “At the moment, I didn’t think. I did it for the money”, answered the Romanian.