In an early morning incident on 11 March 2021, a lorry was stopped by a Civil Guard patrol near Ponte Noalla, San Cibrao das Viñas, Spain, reports the Spanish press.
The officers requested the vehicle’s documents and carried out routine checks inside the cab.
However, their suspicions were aroused when they discovered an illegal electromechanical device installed in the lorry. This device, equipped with an antenna and a receiver, was found to be manipulating the tachograph.
The two drivers on board the lorry had deliberately installed the device in order to record the vehicle’s idle time as rest periods.
The officers immediately reported the incident, which led to the drivers being prosecuted for falsifying public documents.
Recently, the two drivers, both from Azerbaijan, were sentenced to six months in prison and fined 1,080 euros.
The court’s verdict confirmed that the drivers had acted deliberately, remotely activating the illegal device whenever they felt it was necessary. The verdict stated that their manipulation of the tachograph had altered the records of driving and resting times. During the trial, the defendants admitted their wrongdoing.
However, in view of their acknowledgement of the offence and the fact that they had no previous convictions, the parties agreed to suspend the prison sentence. This means that the lorry drivers will not serve any jail time if they remain law-abiding for the next two years.
They will have to pay the fines imposed by the judiciary, with one of the defendants having to pay an additional 600 euros.
