2 pounds of heroin found in car seized by Ohio police

CINCINNATI (AP) — A Kentucky man bothered by a rattle in a car he’d recently bought at an Ohio auto auction has found 2 pounds of heroin in a secret compartment inside the vehicle.

WCPO-TV reports the man drove the Volkswagen Jetta several weeks before discovering the heroin beneath the front passenger seat.

Investigators found more than 6 1⁄2 pounds of heroin in the car eight months ago after the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrested a former Mexican law enforcement officer who said a drug cartel forced him to drive the drugs across the country.

A patrol spokesman says the car was thoroughly searched before it was released to the auction.

The man asked to remain anonymous, fearful for his safety. The auction company has agreed to take the car back.