Drugs bust leads to discovery of protected tortoises in Palomares on Spain’s Costa Almeria

A drugs bust led to an arrest on triple charges after Guardia Civil discovered a 45-year-old man operating a sales point for illegal substances in Palomares was also keeping a protected species of tortoise.
IT all began when officers identified two individuals carrying small amounts of drugs during checks at a movement restrictions compliance control point. Investigations into the source of the drugs pointed to small-scale set-up in Palomares.
A search of the premises resulted in the seizure of 73 grammes of hash, but also to six Mora tortoises of various sizes.
The Andalucia Catalogue of Threatened Species classifies the Mora tortoise as “in danger of extinction.”
The 45-year-old, identified as MTT, now faces charges for crimes against public health, trafficking of a protected species and serious disobedience of the State of Alarm regulations.