(KTHV) – It’s being called the largest meth bust in Arkansas history.
Police seized 276 pounds of meth in an 18-wheeler along Interstate-40 in Lonoke County on Monday. The bust was valued at $10 million.
“You’d be amazed at what’s inside some trucks,” said Patrol Officer First Class with the Highway Police, Charles Tolliver.
It’s just another day behind the wheel for Officer Charles Tolliver, making sure those in the big rigs are following the rules of the road.
“Is he speeding, is he following too close? (Any) obvious vehicle defects? Does he have lights out like this guy?” said Tolliver.
Part of his job includes being on the lookout for drugs and alcohol.
Tolliver: “No beer, no wine?”
Driver: “No, never! I got some Bar-B-Que sauce though!”
“A part of the inspection process is to check the floorboards, the sleeper, to look for the presence of drugs or alcohol,” said Tolliver. “A lot of it too is reading their body language when you ask, ‘hey is there anything in the truck I need to know about?’ ‘Shouldn’t be.’ ‘Well yeah, there shouldn’t be but is there?'”
While the area of the state’s most recent meth bust doesn’t surprise him because of its easy access to both coasts, it’s the amount that caught Tolliver off guard.
“I mean it’s nothing for officers in the state to find big loads, but 300 pounds of meth? That’s an awful lot of meth,” said Tolliver.
Tolliver says each time he pulls a truck over, he prepares himself for just about anything and anyone.
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