A British pensioner has been jailed for almost four years after being convicted of attempting to smuggle drugs worth an estimated £94,000 into Spain. Martin Renwick Hunter, 69, pleaded guilty to trafficking cannabis at a court in Ceuta – an autonomous Spanish city on the North African coast – opposite Gibraltar.
He was led away in handcuffs to serve a three-year 10 month sentence following the court hearing on Tuesday. He will also have to pay a fine of just over €108,000 (£94,000), which is the approximate local value of the seized drugs. Hunter was arrested just before 6pm on July 13, after trying to board a ferry from Cueta to the port city of Algeciras.
Nearly 60 kilos of cannabis resin was found in a secret compartment in the roof of his UK-plated Toyota Avensis during a search of the vehicle.
The cannabis was found in packages marked with names including “Dream Gelato” and “Serial Milk”. After his arrest, he was remanded in custody by an investigating judge until his court appearance.
At the hearing on Tuesday, Judge Maria del Carmen Servan Moreno said police had established that Hunter planned to distribute the drugs to other people and refused to suspend his sentence.
Hunter – who wore beige trousers and a dark-coloured top – spoke through a translator during the hearing that was shortened following his guilty plea.
He had been warned that prosecutors were demanding a full four-year prison sentence and a fine totalling just over €342,000 (£297,000).
However, he agreed to a guilty plea after a deal was reached over the sentence and fine.
His time in pre-trail detention will be taken into account in determining his final release date.
This is the second major drugs case involving a British citizen in Spain in recent weeks.
In September, a British tourist travelling from Benidorm to Ibiza was arrested after police discovered nearly £300,000 worth of cocaine in his car.
The 27-year-old was apprehended after trying to board a ferry from the Costa Blanca resort of Denia to the Balearic island.
