Black Canyon City- A 39-year-old commercial truck driver was arrested early Saturday morning after a DPS officer discovered a duffle bag containing methamphetamine hidden in a load of broccoli.
The officer initiated a traffic stop on the commercial truck for a moving violation along northbound I-17 at milepost 220, at about 2:45 a.m. During the traffic stop the officer conducted a search of the semi-trailer loaded with broccoli and located a duffle bag containing multiple packages of methamphetamine weighing a total of 40 lbs.
DPS narcotics detectives have taken the lead in this drug smuggling investigation.
The suspect, Ata Hamed Taha of Greensboro, North Carolina was booked into the Maricopa County Jail for possession of dangerous drugs, possession of dangerous drugs for sale, transportation of dangerous drugs for sale, conspiracy, and control of an illegal enterprise.
Although this is a significant drug seizure, it is just an example of the desperation by drug smugglers trying to get their dangerous product into our neighborhoods. By taking these drug loads off the highways the Arizona Department of Public Safety is helping to make our communitites a little safer.