Andorra Police Arrest Five for Drugs in Early January Crackdown

Police in Andorra arrested five people for drug possession on 2 and 3 January, alongside further detentions for theft, public order offences, and impaired driving, as part of an active start to the year targeting risks to public health, safety, and property.

On 2 January, officers at the Runer river border checkpoint detained a non-resident man, described in police statements as 33 years old, with eight MDMA pills and 5.25 grams of hashish. The same day, a 20-year-old resident was arrested for allegedly stealing copper cable worth over €16,000 from a hotel renovation site in Escaldes-Engordany, an incident reported in October 2024.

The following day in Canillo, a workplace dispute at a hotel prompted police intervention, leading to the arrest of a 41-year-old resident found with 1 gram of MDMA and one ecstasy pill. He faces additional charges for threats and insults against officers, offences against honour and liberty.

Later on 3 January, a routine check in the outdoor car park of a Canillo nightclub resulted in the detention of a 36-year-old non-resident woman carrying 1.45 grams of methamphetamine and one ecstasy pill.

Public order incidents that day included the arrest in Andorra la Vella of a 34-year-old resident found intoxicated on the street with a head injury; he displayed threatening and disrespectful behaviour toward officers and later resisted intervention. In Pas de la Casa, a 42-year-old non-resident was detained for throwing a metal bar at a nightclub doorman and resisting arrest. Two other men, aged 32 and 36, were arrested nearby for damaging a tourist apartment, assaulting police, and possessing cocaine.

In a traffic incident in Escaldes-Engordany, police responded to a minor accident with material damage where drivers disputed insurance details. A 39-year-old resident driver tested positive for alcohol at 2.04 g/l and was arrested for driving under the influence.

Police reports emphasise these cases as part of broader efforts against drugs, alcohol-related risks, and other crimes. Some media accounts vary on the border detainee's age, citing 22 or 33 years.