French court rejects drug suspect's bail payment in hundreds of smelly banknotes

[June 20, 2016]    LYON, France (Reuters) - A suspected drugs dealer facing trial in France tried to pay his half-million-euro ($559,000) bail in cash - but he ended up back behind bars after prosecutors objected to a payment in 1,000 banknotes smelling of glue.

A public prosecutor explained to the court in Lyon his surprise when 29 people turned up to produce the payment on the suspect's behalf in envelopes filled with large-denomination banknotes.

The 30-year-old suspect was ordered back to jail until his trial in September on drug dealing charges, despite his lawyer's plea that the bail order did not stipulate payment had to be made by cheque.

The attempted payment prompted the court to order a separate money-laundering enquiry. It was not clear whether the banknotes would be returned to those who proffered them.

(Reporting by Catheirne Lagrange; Writing by Brian Love; Editing by Andrew Callus)

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