Salem - A routine traffic stop Saturday afternoon led Oregon State Police (OSP) to a massive cocaine bust worth over half a million dollars, troopers reported.
An OSP trooper stopped a 2005 Nissan Armada SUV with out-of-state license plates about 12:20 p.m., January 19, when he observed the driver, a 26-year old man, speeding and making illegal lane changes.
During the traffic stop on Interstate-5 near milepost 253, a search yielded 66 pounds of cocaine hidden in a false compartment in the SUV's rear cargo area, OSP said. The 31 kilos of cocaine would have an estimated street value of $600,000.
The suspect was lodged in the Marion County Jail and faces numerous felony drug-related charges. His identity is being withheld to avoid compromising an ongoing investigation by the OSP Drug Enforcement Section.