Notice to Media

Marijuana Found in Truck near West Memphis

LITTLE ROCK (8-26) – Officers from the Arkansas Highway Police Division of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) have uncovered another large shipment of illegal drugs, according to AHTD Director Dan Flowers.

On Friday afternoon, August 25, at approximately 4:50 p.m., a tractor-trailer rig was stopped at the Highway Police station on Interstate 40 at Lehi near West Memphis for a routine inspection. During a check of the truck, Highway Police officers discovered several bundles of marijuana inside cardboard boxes in the trailer. The total weight of the bundles was estimated at 1,384 pounds.

The driver was identified as Tony M. Wilson, age 49, of Los Angeles, California. It is believed that he was traveling from California to Pennsylvania with a load of gun safes. Wilson was arrested at the scene and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance With Intent To Deliver, a felony, and was booked in at the Crittenden County Detention Center.

“Even though drug detection is not thought of as one of our primary responsibilities, it is obvious the training our officers receive in that area is paying benefits,” Flowers commented. “Enforcing all laws, whether it involves the mechanical safety of the vehicle, checking the driver’s logbook, or looking for illegal drugs creates a safer environment for other motorists and citizens.”

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