Recruited on TikTok, he was transporting 158 kilos of cannabis with a teddy bear.

A man was sentenced to three years in prison by the Toulouse court after being caught with 158 kilos of cannabis in his vehicle. The driver, an Albanian national, was allegedly recruited on TikTok to carry out the drug run in exchange for payment of between 8,000 and 10,000 euros.

Customs officers at Toulouse-Frouzins stopped him on July 27th on the A62 motorway, driving a BMW X5 with German license plates. Three suitcases and three sports bags contained 104 kilos of cannabis resin and 54 kilos of cannabis herb. A giant teddy bear was also placed on the back seat, giving this shipment an unusual appearance.

A tracking device hidden in the vehicle

The search of the SUV also uncovered a GPS tracking device hidden in the left fender and €685 in cash in the center armrest. The tracker could have allowed the network to follow the movement of the cargo, as well as monitor the driver hired to transport it.

Tried four days after his arrest, the man was sentenced to three years in prison with continued detention and fined €529,300. The drugs, the vehicle, and his phones were confiscated. This case illustrates the increasing use of social media by traffickers to quickly recruit couriers attracted by promises of large profits.