ERIE TWP. (WWJ) -- Michigan State Police are showing off a load of cash and marijuana seized when a California truck driver was pulled over in Monroe County.
Officials said an officer with the MSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division made the traffic stop at around 7:15 p.m. Monday (7/21) on a 2023 Freightliner tractor-trailer, after the vehicle bypassed the I-75 weigh station in Erie Township.
During the stop, MSP said the officer observed indicators of possible criminal activity while speaking with the 25-year-old driver from North Hollywood, California, who consented to a search of the commercial vehicle.
Bags of vacuum-sealed marijuana seized by police.
Michigan State Police
During the search, the officer found a large amount of vacuum-sealed U.S. currency hidden in the truck's sleeping area, and suspected it was connected to drug trafficking, according to MSP.
The truck was then escorted back to the weigh station for a more thorough inspection, and detectives with the Monroe Area Narcotics Team and Investigative Services (M.A.N.T.I.S.) took over the investigation.
During that second search of the tractor and trailer, investigators found and seized roughly 97 kilograms of vacuum-sealed processed marijuana, along with $346,000 in vacuum-sealed cash.
According to state police, the commercial vehicle is owned by a company based in Bartlett, Tennessee, and was traveling from California to New Jersey when the stop occurred.
The driver was lodged at the Monroe County Jail pending review of possible charges by the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office. His name is being withheld at this time.
The investigation is ongoing.
