LITTLE ROCK (7-19) 

     Officers from the Arkansas Highway Police Division (AHP) of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) have uncovered a significant shipment of illegal drugs, according to AHP Chief Ron Burks.

     On July 18, 2008, a tractor-trailer rig was stopped at the Alma Highway Police Station on eastbound Interstate 40 in Crawford County .  During an inspection of the truck, AHP officers discovered an estimated 440 pounds of cocaine. The street value of the drugs is estimated to be in excess of $4 million.

      “I’m very proud of our officers,” stated Burks. “This is the largest discovery of illicit drugs by our officers this year, and one of the largest in the history of the agency, both in terms of quantity and street value,” he added.

     The driver was identified as Iver Lopez, age 54, of Pembroke Pines , Florida .  It is believed the truck, transporting produce, was traveling from Bakersfield , California , to Elkton , Maryland .  Lopez was arrested at the scene for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and a misdemeanor motor carrier safety violation. 

      Lopez is being held at the Crawford County Detention Center .  He is scheduled for arraignment in Crawford County Court on July 23, 2008.

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