Apparently International Drug Smugglers Love Kingswoods

Last month a 1970 daffodil-coloured Holden Kingswood was impounded by French customs. What happened was they'd discovered 20 grams of weed stashed in the ute's hatch, which led officials to confiscate the vehicle. Not because 20 grams was a lot, but because the car’s compartments were possibly being used to smuggle more drugs. And now the classic car is being used as a display to show recruits the types of vehicles used by drug traffickers.

The whole fiasco started when Travis McKimmie—an Aussie living in London—decided to buy a Kingswood. Travis loves his Holdens so when he got word via Facebook there were two classic Kingswood utes for sale in Holland, he jumped at the opportunity.

As Travis told the ABC: “They were left in a warehouse in Holland and the warehouse was getting sold so the guy said to me that if I could get one of the utes back to the United Kingdom it was mine."

The ute was being transported from the Netherlands to London via France, which is where customs discovered 20 grams of cannabis stashed in a small parcel that looked a few years old. But the drugs were not the only problem. The problem was that the ute is a drug smuggler’s weapon-of-choice due to two 20cm x 40cm hidden compartments that once came factory-standard.

“I got a text from the transportation company saying: ‘Your car’s been seized by French Customs…We think it can be used for drug smuggling so the car will be destroyed.” said Travis in an interview with Street Machine.

Holden used to build its old utes with standard station wagon floor pans. This meant the ute had a small hatch in the floor at the rear of the car which for most owners served no purpose other than to collect rust.

In a letter which Travis forwarded to the classic cars site Hemmings French authorities explained: “Customs officials have seized the ute under Article 323.2 of the French Customs Code after finding two hatches measuring 20 centimeters by 40 centimeters… to challenge the agreement with French Customs, we would be obliged to bring legal action against you for the offence and to request a fine accompanied by a prison sentence of up to 10 years.”

Since then, French Authorities have decided to not to destroy the car, but instead put it on display as an example of vehicles that are exploited by drug smugglers. Travis is still in negotiations with French customs via the Australian embassy.

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