Whopping $991,000 discovery in back of truck after motorist pulled over on regional highway
It's been a 'busy few days' for officers on the Newell Highway after making the huge find.
A motorist and his passenger have been arrested after cops pulled them over and made a shocking near million dollar discovery in the back of their truck.
The two Queensland men were stopped by officers from Dubbo’s Traffic and Highway Patrol Command on the Newell Highway in the regional NSW town of Coonabarabran on Wednesday. One of the men attempted to run into bushland after being stopped according to officers, but was quickly apprehended.
After a search was conducted, it became clear what might have prompted the man to seek a quick escape — 901 cannabis plants with a street value of $991,000 were allegedly hidden in the back of the truck.
The two men, both 54, were arrested and charged with possessing a commercial quantity of prohibited plants. The men were refused bail to appear at Coonabarabran Local Court.
They were also issued penalty notices for not wearing seatbelts in the truck, just to add to their legal woes.
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'Busy few days' for cops on highway patrol
Officers said it’s been a “busy few days” for the highway patrol, with 66,110 illegal cigarettes, 8kg of illegal tobacco and $30,620 in cash, suspected to be the proceeds of illegal tobacco sales, found in a Renault Van on the same highway just two days earlier.
A 40-year-old man from Queensland was charged and will appear at Gilgandra Local Court in August in relation to that alleged bust.
“$991,000 worth of cannabis plants, $176,764 in illegal tobacco and $30,620 proceeds of crime in separate vehicle stops,” the NSW Police's Traffic and Highway Patrol Command said. “It's been a busy few days for Dubbo HWP officers.”
$1.5 million discovery in Aussie's car
The whopping drug bust is not the first in the area this week, with officers coming across $1.5 million worth of cannabis bud in a 33-year-old man's Silver Kia Carnival van when he was pulled over on the Newell Highway just before 10 am on Monday.
Photos show the driver, who was arrested and taken to Dubbo Police Station, standing near the vehicle while wearing handcuffs, and dozens of vacuum-sealed bags filled with marijuana stacked on top of each other.
The 33-year-old man is charged with supplying a prohibited drug in a commercial quality and possession of a prohibited drug.
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