In a significant drug bust, over 100 pounds of methamphetamine were seized during a traffic stop conducted by the West Tennessee Drug Task Force on I-40 late Tuesday night. The incident took place in Haywood County where a vehicle was stopped, and a K-9 unit alerted officers to the presence of narcotics. Upon searching, agents found more than 50 large bags of meth, weighing in at a substantial 115 pounds, with a street value reported to exceed $500,000, as reported by Action News 5.
Exploring the vehicle, acting upon the intuitive guidance of a certified narcotics canine, the Task Force uncovered an aftermarket compartment skillfully integrated into the car’s natural structure, concealing the sizeable load of drugs. This information, which encompasses further details of the discovery, was shared by Local Memphis, highlighting the ingenuity utilized in crafting such a hidden space. Agents were compelled to force open the compartment to retrieve the contraband.
District Attorney Steve Mulroy, as told to Action News 5, expressed pride in the agents' work, saying, "Their persistence and ingenuity allowed us to prevent a record amount of meth poison from being distributed in West Tennessee and elsewhere." Along with Agent Mulroy's commendation, Drug Task Force Director Johnie Carter, according to a statement obtained by Local Memphis, praised his interdiction team's performance, calling the seizure a record for the Task Force.
This significant drug seizure was visually highlighted by agencies, affirming its status as a 'record meth bust' for the Task Force, with this initial insight given by WREG. A commercial motor vehicle, seen on the Interstate carrying a private car, exhibited "abnormalities," prompting a thorough investigation and subsequent unearthing of the meth within a secret compartment. The case remains under active investigation, with any associated charges to be prosecuted in Haywood County by the Office of the District Attorney General, 28th Judicial District.
The collaborative effort to halt the dissemination of drugs involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, a tri-district agency covering the 28th, 29th, and 30th District Attorneys General. The Criminal Interdiction Unit, where the operation's agents hail from, consists of full-time employees and officers from the Haywood and Dyer County Sheriff’s Offices and the Memphis and Germantown Police Departments, as mentioned by Local Memphis.
