A duty judge in Alicante released two Moroccan citizens, aged 38 and 23, on provisional bail on Monday, 3rd August. The individuals had been arrested by the Guardia Civil Traffic Unit following a 28-kilometre chase along the A-7 highway, stretching from Crevillent to Alicante. Represented by lawyer Aitor Esteban Gallastegui, the two men fled the scene after being found in possession of 199 pellets of hashish, amounting to approximately two kilos of the drug, which they discarded from the vehicle moments before their apprehension.
The incident began last Friday at around 5:00 PM during the August 1st Special Traffic Operation. A patrol from the Guardia Civil Traffic Unit in Orihuela observed a vehicle travelling at high speed in the left lane towards Alicante near Crevillent. The car was tailgating the vehicle in front, compelling the driver to move aside.
Officers initiated pursuit of the Seat Córdoba, prompting the driver to accelerate upon noticing the presence of the Guardia Civil. The driver proceeded to travel recklessly, overtaking other vehicles on the right and across the hard shoulder, endangering other motorists on the highway.
The patrol notified their operations center at the Command Headquarters, alerting additional patrols in Alicante. Upon reaching the Alicante city limits on the A-70 highway, two further patrols joined the chase, though the occupants of the car continued to ignore signals from the Guardia Civil and drove with increasing aggression.
Officers eventually forced the fleeing vehicle into the right-hand guardrail of the A-70. The pursued occupants attempted an unsuccessful overtake on the shoulder to ram a Guardia Civil vehicle. During this moment, an occupant discarded a plastic bag through the window while displaying a black object.
The Guardia Civil Traffic Unit successfully blocked the car without causing damage. While one officer retrieved the discarded bag containing two kilos of hashish and others managed traffic in the left lane, a fourth officer raised suspicions regarding a gesture suggesting the presence of a handgun.
Officers took preventative measures before realising the object was a black backpack, proceeding to arrest the two suspects. The detainees were transferred to Guardia Civil facilities and brought before the court this past Monday as alleged perpetrators of crimes including disobedience to an authority agent, reckless driving, and drug trafficking, with both subsequently released on bail.
