Arrested in Perpignan: the Spanish border and the corridor
Perpignan is the last French city before the Spanish border and sits on the corridor that carries road and rail traffic between the Iberian peninsula and the rest of Europe. Almost every case here involves a crossing.
What actually happens here
- The border and the corridor: customs checks on vehicles and freight, and narcotics moving north from Spain and Morocco.
- Cash. Declaration obligations apply on the crossing, and sums carried by members of the same party are aggregated.
- The freight market, one of the largest in Europe for fresh produce, which generates customs, labour and regulatory proceedings.
- Andorra, close by and outside the EU customs union, producing tobacco and goods cases of its own.
- Nightlife and the coast in season, with the ordinary resort caseload.
Corridor cases have a recurring feature: the person is a driver or a passenger with no connection to France, stopped with a vehicle whose contents have to be attributed to someone. The Spanish end of the same route is in the guide for Spain.
The French clock, in short
Police custody in Perpignan runs for 24 hours, extendable once by the prosecutor to 48, in writing and with reasons. France has no bail: the magistrate decides between release, judicial supervision and detention. The full framework is in the guide for France.
Frequently asked questions
Something was found in the lorry.
Attribution must be established. Consignment documents, loading records and communications are what connect or separate a driver from the load.
Do I have to declare cash at the border?
Yes above the threshold, and sums carried by members of the same party are aggregated.
How long can they hold me?
Twenty-four hours, extendable once to forty-eight, and up to ninety-six where organised crime is alleged.
I bought goods in Andorra.
Andorra is outside the EU customs union, so allowances apply on entering France and exceeding them is a customs offence.
If this is happening now
In France no interview may begin without a lawyer present, so the hours before it are the ones that count. First contact is free and covered by professional privilege, at any hour.