I-70 traffic stop nets nearly 100 pounds of meth in Lafayette County

By Betsy Webster

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    LAFAYETTE COUNTY, Missouri (KCTV) — An unusually large seizure of meth began last week as a simple traffic stop for speeding.

A search warrant application filed this week seeking access to the driver’s cell phone indicates a Missouri State Highway Patrol corporal stopped a vehicle on I-70 Thursday in Lafayette County, about 45 miles east of Kansas City.

A court statement was prepared by a sergeant with the MSHP’s Troop A in Lee’s Summit.

He wrote that the corporal “…noticed that the interior carpet of the vehicle appeared to have been replaced.” He then “…looked under the vehicle…and observed an aftermarket compartment…under the floor.”

The statement indicates the driver, who was the only one in the vehicle, gave consent to search the vehicle. A K9 with training in narcotics detection assisted in locating the meth.

A photo taken afterward showed countless clear bags with a white substance inside covering a Highway Patrol vehicle’s hood and windshield. All told, more than 90 pounds of meth was seized.

The court statement indicates the driver told troopers he was paid $5,000 to move the meth from Compton, California to Lexington, Kentucky before he was intercepted.

That driver has not yet been charged in court.

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