Notice to Media

Highway Police Officers Seize Over 400 Pounds of Marijuana

April 24, 1998 – Officers from the Highway Police Division of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) uncovered approximately 425 pounds of marijuana concealed in a tractor-trailer rig Thursday, April 23, according to AHTD Director Dan Flowers.

The drugs were found during a routine inspection of a truck at the Hope Weigh Station on I-30 in Hempstead County Thursday evening. The marijuana was found in cardboard boxes concealed in a mixed load of cantaloupes and other produce.

Two occupants of the truck were taken into custody at the scene. Charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver were Willie Murry, 45, of Detroit, Michigan, and Richard Boyd, 38, of Jackson, Mississippi. Both are being held on $75,000 bond.

This is the third large seizure of marijuana by Highway Police Officers this month. On April 9, approximately 124 pounds of marijuana was found in a fake fuel tank on a truck near Hope, and on April 10, over 1,600 pounds was discovered in a load of watermelons on I-40 near West Memphis. Additionally, Highway Police Officers seized nearly $3.2 million in cash from a truck near West Memphis in March.

"Once again, our drug interdiction training has paid off in a big way," Highway Police Chief Ron Burks noted. "We are very proud of the way our officers are detecting illegal and unsafe loads on our highways."

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