CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ark. — Arkansas’ Highway Police say it uncovered an illegal marijuana shipment on Feb. 10 on Interstate 40 in Crawford County.
The Department of Transportation, who dispatches the Highway Police, says officers uncovered a shipment of pot in a commercial motor vehicle during a safety inspection.
Officers discovered seven pallets of marijuana after Mack, AHP’s newest K-9 officer, alerted to the presence of drugs. The shipment totaled approximately 4,900 pounds and the street value is estimated at over $16 million.
According to AHP Chief, Jeff Holmes, AHP drug seizures have been known to reach between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds, and this case ranks among the top five largest on record.
“Our officers are trained to detect illegal activity while inspecting commercial motor vehicles,” Holmes said. “In this instance, the officer, alongside his K-9 partner, Mack, was simply doing his job – ultimately preventing a significant shipment of illegal drugs from reaching their destination.”
The 27-year-old driver was believed to be traveling from California to Georgia. He was arrested at the scene for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and is being held at the Crawford County Detention Center.
This seizure comes on the heels of a 2,872 pound confiscation by the Arkansas State Police that occurred on Monday, February 3.
“We recently brought back our K-9 program. I am proud of our officers and their K-9 partners in their commitment to addressing the problem of transporting illegal substances across our highways,” said Director Jared Wiley.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
