A 39-year-old Moroccan man who spent nearly six months in a Spanish jail after police mistook baking soda for drugs is preparing to sue the Spanish state, saying the case cost him months of freedom due to a basic laboratory error.
The man was arrested Oct. 18, 2025, in the Ingenio area on the island of Gran Canaria after police found him in a car with a small plastic bag of white powder. Officers initially believed the substance was amphetamine, and a rapid field test appeared to confirm that suspicion.
From the outset, the man insisted the substance was baking soda. He repeated that claim during his arrest and later in court, even as he was placed in pretrial detention on suspicion of drug trafficking.
He remained in custody for 180 days while authorities awaited final laboratory analysis. During that time, he was held in a detention facility in the Canary Islands, unable to work or leave the country. His lawyer repeatedly requested that the court expedite toxicology testing, warning that the prolonged detention was unjustified in the absence of confirmed charges.
The arrest stemmed from a broader police operation. Spanish authorities were initially tracking a fast-moving boat off the coast near Arinaga, prompting a maritime search that proved unsuccessful. Shortly afterward, local police in Ingenio stopped a suspicious vehicle near El Burrero beach, where they discovered the white powder.
Months later, laboratory results clarified the substance was not a controlled drug. On March 19, 2026, the Canary Islands regional health service confirmed the material contained no illegal narcotics.
A judge ordered his immediate release on April 16, 2026, ruling that there was no longer sufficient evidence to justify continued detention.
The man’s legal team says it will now seek compensation from the Spanish state, arguing that he lost nearly half a year of liberty due to a faulty field test and delays in laboratory verification.
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