Seven years in prison, a €60,000 fine, and deportation from Spain. The High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community has upheld the sentence imposed on a Colombian man arrested in the Carolinas Bajas neighbourhood of Alicante with a backpack containing 428 grams of ketamine ready for sale.
The arrest took place at approximately 11:20 p.m. on 11th September, 2025, on Calle Valencia in Alicante. According to the ruling of the High Court of Justice, the man was carrying the drugs inside a plastic bag in a backpack and adopted an evasive attitude upon noticing the presence of a police patrol.
The officers decided to stop him and searched his belongings. Inside, they found ketamine with a purity of 85% and an estimated value of €21,211.68 on the black market. They also seized €55, which the court believes came from drug sales.
The amount seized is the basis for the Valencian High Court decision to uphold this man’s conviction. The ruling states that the 363.8 grams of pure ketamine exceeded by more than three times the limit set for considering the substance of notable importance and were equivalent to more than 1,800 doses per day.
The defence requested a reduced sentence, down to the legal minimum of six years, but the judges upheld the seven-year sentence imposed by the Provincial Court of Alicante. The court determined that the quantity of drugs justified exceeding the minimum punishment and considered that the drugs were not intended for personal use.
The ruling also states that the volume of drugs seized pointed to trafficking activity and highlights that the convicted man did not prove sufficient income to have acquired a substance valued at more than 21,000 euro on his own.
The sentence stipulates that once the convicted person has served two-thirds of their sentence, is granted parole or conditional release, the remaining prison time will be replaced by their deportation from Spain. Furthermore, they will be prohibited from re-entering the country for nine years.
The defendant attempted to avoid this measure by claiming he had a residence permit and ties to Spain. However, the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community considers that he only demonstrated a formal connection, as there was no evidence of employment, regular income, or sufficient proof of family cohabitation.
He also requested that the trial be annulled because one of the police officers involved in the operation was unable to testify due to medical leave. The court rejected this argument because the second officer on the patrol did appear and witnessed both the search and the discovery of the drugs.
The decision of the high court is not yet final, as the convicted person can try to appeal it to the Supreme Court.
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