Van Buren, AR – Arkansas State Police (ASP) seized 1,705 pounds of illegal marijuana during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Crawford County, leading to the arrest of two men from Maryland and Georgia, authorities said.
According to ASP, troopers stopped a 2018 tractor-trailer traveling eastbound near the 2-mile marker around 12:30 p.m. Thursday for a traffic violation. A search of the trailer uncovered 42 boxes and a large duffel bag filled with marijuana.
The driver, Dawit Asefa, 48, of Silver Spring, Maryland, and his passenger, Ashenafi Mamo, 39, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, were taken into custody and booked into the Crawford County Detention Center. Both face felony charges of Trafficking a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Authorities have not disclosed further details about the case or the potential street value of the drugs.
Interstate 40 remains a key corridor for drug trafficking, with law enforcement intensifying efforts to intercept illegal shipments.
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