CANADIAN COUNTY, Okla. – Officials seized millions of dollars worth of cocaine in Oklahoma.
Nearly 80-pounds of the drug were found hidden inside a car Sunday night in Canadian County.
Canadian County deputies say the drugs were inside a car that was being hauled from Arizona to Oklahoma City.
“We believe this is one of the largest cocaine busts or seizures in the Oklahoma City metro area in recent years, if not ever,” Canadian County Undersheriff Chris West said.
Bundle after bundle of cocaine was found crammed into a hidden compartment underneath the seat of a car.
Canadian County Sheriff’s deputies made the find after pulling over a car hauler Sunday night.
The car hauler was headed along I-40 near El Reno when a deputy noticed it swerving off of the road.
“The first thing they think is this could be a person that’s tired or under the influence. Needless to say it’s a violation,” West said.
The driver was pulled over and later agreed to allow deputies to search the vehicles he was hauling.
“Once they got inside the vehicle they could tell something had been done with one of the seats,” West said.
A false compartment was under the seat. Inside the compartment, deputies found the 35 bundles of cocaine, a total weight of nearly 80-pounds.
“We estimate by the time it’s distributed on the street, it’s in the neighborhood of 4-million to 5-million dollars,” West said.
The drugs were taken, but deputies let the driver go.
“A lot of time the drivers don’t know the drugs are there. They’ve just been contracted to haul a load,” West said.
Deputies say it’s a common way for cartels to transport drugs, conceal them in a car and pay someone to unknowingly haul them to another location.
However, Canadian County officials say this is one of the largest seizures they have ever seen.
“This is a significant cocaine seizure,” West said.
Canadian County officials say the cocaine was headed for Oklahoma City.
Officials say it will now be given to the OSBI to be destroyed.
