More than $2 million worth of cocaine was seized by the Missouri State Highway Patrol during a routine inspection of a tractor trailer pulling a car transport trailer Friday morning at the Troop G weigh station.
The patrol said a canine from the West Plains Police Department discovered a hidden compartment inside a 1997 Mercedes-Benz on the trailer. It contained 57.2 pounds of cocaine. Another hidden compartment was found in a 1995 Toyota mini-van. It was empty.
An investigation revealed that the driver of the transport truck, which was owned by a private cartage company, was not involved.
With the assistance of officers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control, the South Central Drug Task Force and the Illinois State Police, a controlled delivery was conducted in the Chicago area. The investigation in Illinois continues, the patrol said.