Police find heroin after unlicensed driver falls asleep in van

A 30-year-old man was found asleep in a small truck in Villach while allegedly under the influence of drugs and without a driving licence, ORF reported. Police also found a small amount of heroin in his possession.

Police were alerted by an emergency call on Wednesday afternoon about a driver in the Villach Warmbad area who was believed to be intoxicated. Officers soon found the small truck in a nearby car park.

The driver was asleep in the seat and showed signs of impairment from drugs, according to Villach police. He refused a medical examination to determine whether he was fit to drive. Under the law, this means he is treated as having driven with a blood alcohol level exceeding 1.6 parts per thousand.

The man could not produce a valid driving licence. The vehicle was collected by its registered owner, who told police she knew the driver but had not given him permission to use it.

He will be reported to the Klagenfurt public prosecutor on suspicion of unauthorised use of a vehicle and offences under Austria’s narcotics law. He also faces administrative proceedings over suspected drug-impaired driving and driving without a licence, police said.