Wednesday, June 27, 2012
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio State Highway Patrol has seized an estimated $2.8 million in cocaine from a tractor-trailer near Springfield after receiving a tip on a hotline introduced this year to help crack down on drug trafficking.
The patrol says someone called the new (hash) 677 number to report suspicious activity by a commercial tractor-trailer along Interstate 70. Troopers stopped the truck for a driving violation early this morning and discovered 32 kilos of cocaine in the sleeper area.
Troopers say the 30-year-old driver from Canada was jailed and will face felony charges of having and trafficking in cocaine.
The patrol says the hotline announced in February received more than 12,700 calls from March through May. Drivers can use it when they need help or to report an impaired driver or drug activity.