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A routine Guardia Civil road check in Ibiza has led to the arrest of a British man after officers discovered he was driving a vehicle reported stolen in the UK and allegedly hiding narcotics in a concealed compartment.

 

The 35-year-old was stopped on Saturday June 13 on a road leaving Sant Antoni during a standard inspection. What initially appeared to be a routine traffic stop quickly raised suspicions when officers examined the vehicle's identification details.

 

According to the Guardia Civil, checks revealed that the vehicle identification number (VIN) did not match the number stamped on the chassis. After carrying out further enquiries, officers confirmed that the car had been reported stolen in the United Kingdom and was also subject to an international arrest warrant issued through Interpol.

 

With the discrepancies confirmed, officers carried out a more detailed search of the vehicle.

 

The breakthrough came with the assistance of a specialist drug detection dog from the Guardia Civil's Canine Unit. During the search, the dog alerted officers to an area around the vehicle's rear heating system.

Investigators subsequently discovered a hidden compartment, or false bottom, concealed within the rear heater section of the car.

 

Inside the secret compartment, officers found various narcotics. The Guardia Civil has not disclosed either the type or quantity of substances recovered.

 

Both the drugs and the vehicle were seized as part of the operation, and the driver was arrested at the scene.

 

The British national appeared before a judge on Sunday June 14 as the alleged perpetrator of offences relating to document forgery and drug trafficking. He was later released on bail while judicial proceedings continue.

 

The Guardia Civil has also released images from the operation showing the search of the vehicle, including the moment the detection dog identified the area where the hidden compartment was eventually found.

 

The investigation remains ongoing as officers work to establish the origin of the seized substances and determine whether there are links to any wider criminal activity.

 

The case bears similarities to another incident in Sant Antoni just weeks earlier. In May, the Guardia Civil arrested a 26-year-old British man after he allegedly attempted to flee a police checkpoint. Officers said the vehicle he was driving had also been reported stolen and showed irregularities in its VIN number.

 

While authorities stress that the two investigations are separate, both cases resulted in the recovery of vehicles stolen in the UK following checks carried out in the Sant Antoni area.

 

Image: Guardia Civil