VAN BUREN, Ark. — A commercial 18-wheeler got barely a couple of miles into the state of Arkansas on Interstate 40 going east before they were pulled over by the Arkansas State Police.
During that stop on Thursday, Feb. 20, around 12:30 p.m., ASP stopped a 2018 tractor-trailer traveling eastbound on Interstate 40 near the 2-mile mark in Crawford County for a traffic violation.
According to an ASP release troopers searched the trailer and discovered 1,705 pounds of illegal marijuana concealed in 42 boxes and a large duffel bag.
The driver, Dawit Asefa, 48, of Silver Spring, Maryland, and the passenger, Ashenafi Mamo, 39, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, were arrested and transported to the Crawford County Detention Center.
Both men face felony charges in Arkansas of Trafficking a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
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.
