Workers at a Newton County salvage yard say a junked car sitting on the lot was quietly holding nine pounds of crystal meth inside its door panels. The hidden haul surfaced this week after a customer bought one of the doors and pulled off the interior panel.
According to WSB-TV, employees at McDonough Used Auto Parts said the car was brought in as salvage after a crash last year and that staffers typically look over wrecks before selling off parts. They told the station the customer uncovered a large sealed bag of drugs while removing the panel, and when the crew checked the other door they found nine individually wrapped packages. The yard called deputies, and the Newton County Sheriff's Office said federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration are helping with the investigation.
“It was something of a shock and overwhelming,” manager Jay Satterwhite told WSB-TV. He said the packets were vacuum sealed and machine wrapped, adding, “this wasn't amateur.” An officer who tested the substance told workers it appeared to be pure meth that had not been cut, according to the same account.
Not An Isolated Problem In Georgia
The discovery in Covington comes as law enforcement across Georgia keeps intercepting large meth shipments around the state and region. The Newton County Sheriff's Office and federal partners helped seize more than a ton of suspected meth from an 18 wheeler in the county, according to The Covington News, and a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia describes a separate case in which agents recovered roughly 1,585 pounds of meth hidden inside blackberry shipments.
What Salvage Buyers Should Know
Yard operators say they try to check wrecked vehicles before any parts leave, but well concealed contraband can slip by until a customer starts tearing into a panel. Georgia requires used parts dealers to be licensed and to keep records of inventory and ownership, according to the Georgia Secretary of State's board for used motor vehicle parts dealers.
Investigation Ongoing
Investigators have not announced any arrests and say they are working to trace the car's owner and where the stash came from. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Newton County Sheriff's Office as the DEA and local deputies continue their probe.
