Guardia Civil arrests 19-year-old with 900 grams of ketamine in ride-share vehicle on A-3 in Cuenca
A 19-year-old man was arrested after Civil Guard officers found nearly 900 grams of ketamine in his bag during a routine check at a rest area on the A-3 motorway in Castillo de Garcimuñoz, Cuenca.
The arrest
Guardia Civil officers from the Sisante post stopped a vehicle at a rest area on the A-3 motorway, at kilometre 162, within the municipality of Castillo de Garcimuñoz (Cuenca). The stop was part of routine surveillance and crime-prevention patrols in service areas. Two passengers were travelling in the back seat, sharing the ride through a platform that connects drivers with empty seats to passengers.
After verifying the identities of all occupants, the officers inspected the belongings of one of the rear passengers. Inside a bag they found a white substance that field tests identified as ketamine. The total weight was nearly 900 grams.
Ride-share context
The vehicle was being used for a shared journey arranged via a ride-sharing platform. The suspect was one of two passengers in the back seat who had booked the trip through the service. The driver and the other passenger were not implicated in the offence.
Legal proceedings
The 19-year-old was immediately detained on suspicion of a crime against public health for drug trafficking. He was taken, together with the seized narcotics, to the Sección Civil y de Instrucción de Guardia del Tribunal de Instancia in San Clemente, Cuenca, where he was placed at the disposal of the court.
Broader operation
The arrest falls under the drug retail prevention plans run by the Cuenca Command of the Guardia Civil. The Sisante post officers were conducting a targeted surveillance operation in motorway service areas when they identified the vehicle.
