3 TONS OF POT FOUND IN TRAILER LEFT AT TRUCK STOP

Authorities found more than 6,000 pounds of marijuana Wednesday in a
trailer that had been left unattended in a truck stop parking lot in Orange
since at least Saturday.

Deputy Chief Ron Hobbs, commander of the Jefferson County Narcotics Task
Force, said the trailer and drugs probably were left there for someone, but
the designated person didn't arrive.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department, said officers began a surveillance
of the trailer Saturday after an officer noticed the trailer in the parking
lot of the truck stop off Interstate 10.

Cpl. Charles Williams said the trailer was the only one in the parking lot
without a truck cab.

A search warrant was issued Wednesday after drug-sniffing dogs indicated
hit on the trailer. Deputies found the more than three tons of marijuana
wrapped in plastic vacuum-packed bricks.

Officers wouldn't speculate on where the drugs came from or where they were
headed.

Hobbs said Houston is the number one destination point for illegal drugs in
the country.

"Once drugs leave there, they can go to all points on the compass," he said
in a story in Thursday's Beaumont Enterprise.

"It appears that somebody detached a truck from the tractor-trailer
combination, apparently just leaving it there to come back at a later
date," Deputy Sgt. Robert Strause said in a story in Thursday's Orange
Leader. "There are times when people will do that. But never have I seen
one just sit there for five days."

No arrests have been made.

Sheriff Mike White estimated the drugs had a street value of about $8 million.


Newshawk: The GCW
Pubdate: Wed, 06 Mar 2002
Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News (CO)
Copyright: 2002, Denver Publishing Co.
Contact: letters@rockymountainnews.com
Website: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/