Two British coach drivers are being held in custody in Spain, after the band bus they were driving was found containing drugs with a street value of £4.4m.
A European Arrest Warrant has been issued for the owner of the firm that was running the Neoplan Skyliner, converted to a band bus.
Neither the drivers, the firm or its owner have been named at this stage, although the drivers’ families claim they were innocent parties and unaware of the illicit cargo.
The drugs – 17kg of cocaine and 750kg of cannabis resin – were hidden in compartments under a bunk and inside a cabinet.
They were wrapped in large flat parcels on the UK-registered vehicle.
Spanish Civil Guard officers discovered the drugs after stopping the vehicle – travelling from Malaga to the UK.
It was held at tolls on the AP7 motorway near Sagunto, near the east coast city of Valencia, in the early hours of 16 January. No passengers were on board.
The coach drivers, aged 39 and 59, were handed over to a court in Sagunto, 18 miles north of Valencia, for further questioning after an initial police investigations.
They are thought to have been remanded in custody after the closed court hearing.
Local media reports say that the band bus is suspected of having been used as part of an international operation to smuggle drugs into Britain.
