LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In three recent traffic stops conducted by Arkansas State Police (ASP), nearly 200 pounds of illegal marijuana was seized on state highways.
On the morning of Thursday, February 8, troopers stopped a vehicle in Little Rock at the 65th Street exit on I-30 East for a traffic violation.
A search of the vehicle revealed two trash bags containing 38 vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, each weighing approximately 1 pound.
The driver, 41-year-old Viet Quoc Truong of Arlington, Texas, was placed under arrest and is being charged with felony furnishing, possessing or using prohibited articles, felony possession of controlled substances, felony intent to deliver, and improper lane use.
Two hours later, ASP pulled over a vehicle on I-40 in Conway County and detected a strong odor of marijuana.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of two large bags containing vacuum-sealed bundles of marijuana weighing 62 pounds.
The driver, 44-year-old Anouphab Thairathom of Las Vegas, Nevada, was taken into custody and is being charged with felony possession with the purpose to deliver a controlled substance and felony possession of drug paraphernalia.
Then, on Friday, February 9th, officials stopped an SUV on I-40 Eastbound in Conway County for a traffic violation. During the stop, a K-9 alerted troopers of illegal drugs in the vehicle, leading to the discovery of 94 1-pound packages of marijuana.
63-year-old Frederick Diehl of El Portal, Florida, was arrested and charged with felony possession with the purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving left of center.
