The Arkansas State Police (ASP) have seized nearly 200 pounds of illegal marijuana in three separate traffic stops on Arkansas interstates. The traffic stops took place on Thursday, February 8, and Friday, February 9, 2024, and resulted in the arrest of four suspects from different states. The seized marijuana has an estimated street value of more than $1 million, according to ASP.
The first traffic stop occurred on Thursday, February 8, at around 9:15 a.m., when ASP stopped a vehicle in Little Rock at the 65th Street exit on Interstate 30 East for a traffic violation. A search of the vehicle revealed two trash bags containing 38 vacuum-sealed bags of illegal marijuana, each weighing approximately one pound. The driver, Viet Quoc Truong, 41, of Arlington, Texas, was arrested and taken to the Pulaski County Detention Center. Truong is facing charges of furnishing, possessing or using prohibited articles, possession of controlled substances, intent to deliver, and improper lane use. This was the smallest seizure of the three, but still amounted to 38 pounds of illegal marijuana.
The second stop in Conway County
The second traffic stop occurred on Thursday, February 8, at around 11:25 a.m., when ASP pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 40 in Conway County. The trooper detected a strong odor of marijuana, and a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of two large bags containing vacuum-sealed bundles of illegal marijuana weighing 62 pounds. ASP arrested the driver, Anouphab Thairathom, 44, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and transported him to the Conway County Detention Center. Thairathom is facing charges of possession with the purpose to deliver a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. This was the second-largest seizure of the three, and more than doubled the amount of illegal marijuana seized by ASP.
The third stop in Conway County
The third traffic stop occurred on Friday, February 9, at around 5 p.m., when ASP pulled over an SUV on Interstate 40 Eastbound in Conway County for a traffic violation. During the stop, a K-9 alerted troopers to illegal drugs in the vehicle, leading to the discovery of 94 one-pound packages of illegal marijuana. The driver, Frederick Diehl of El Portal, Florida, 63, was arrested and taken to the Conway County Detention Center. Diehl was charged with possession with the purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving left of center. This was the largest seizure of the three, and accounted for almost half of the total amount of illegal marijuana seized by ASP.
Maria Garcia is an award-winning author who excels in creating engaging cannabis-centric articles that captivate audiences. Her versatile writing style allows her to cover a wide range of topics within the cannabis space, from advocacy and social justice to product reviews and lifestyle features. Maria’s dedication to promoting education and awareness about cannabis shines through in her thoughtfully curated content that resonates with both seasoned enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
