PHOENIX, Ariz. -- More than a half ton of marijuana was seized from a fake delivery fan spotted on I-15 by Arizona Department of Transportation officers Tuesday evening.
ADOT says the van had authentic-looking markings of a commercial package-delivery service but an officer with the Enforcement and Compliance Division noticed the vehicle had an out-of-state license plate. The officer then proceeded to run a check of records which showed the vehicle was registered in North Carolina and not in Arizona, which it would be if owned by a local company.
The officer then alerted other ADOT patrols, which caught up with the van and noted several violations as it traveled on I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge. Another ADOT officer then stopped the van and noted inconsistencies with the driver's story.
A drug-sniffing dog was then called to the stop and detected illegal substances. During a search, officers found large bags containing 1,113 pounds of marijuana, 5 grams of a mushroom-based hallucinogenic, three vials of illegal steroids and $7,850.
The 48-year-old man was taken into custody and booked into the Mesquite Detention Center in Nevada where he is awaiting transer to the Mohave County Jail in Kingman. The van was taken to ADOT's commerical port of entry in St. George, Utah.
