A routine traffic stop on Interstate 40 Monday morning ended up as one of the largest marijuana busts on the interstate ever by troopers with Arkansas State Police Troop D, headquartered in Forrest City.
The total value of the confiscated drugs is about $2 million.
According to a report from Troop D, about 7 a.m., a trooper traveling east on I-40 noticed a 2010 GMC box style truck veer onto the outside shoulder near the 254 mile marker. The trooper stopped the vehicle, driven by Georgia Ann Chavez, 44, of Tucson, Ariz., for improper lane use. When the trooper approached Chavez, she told him she was feeling ill and appeared "very nervous" but refused any medical treatment, according to the report.
The trooper reportedly asked Chavez about her cargo and she said that she did not have a key to the lock on the rear of the truck. The trooper used a K-9 unit to perform an exterior search of the vehicle and the dog indicated that there were narcotics on the right passenger side of the cargo area. During a search of the vehicle, the trooper found 10 boxes containing 25 compressed blocks of marijuana atop a separate homemade wooden box holding 32 more compressed blocks of marijuana. The total weight of the marijuana is 1,281 pounds with an estimated street value of close to $2 million, according to ASP officials.
"This was just good police work. This may not be our largest marijuana bust because we've taken more than 2,000 pounds out of a couple of big trucks, but it is one of the largest we've had," said Lt. Jackie Clark.
According to Clark, an investigation into the case is still under way.
Chavez is charged with improper lane use, driving with a suspended driver's license, trafficking a controlled substance, which is a Class Y felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class D felony. Chavez is being held in the St. Francis County Jail without bond, pending arraignment Wednesday in District Court.
