- Font Size:
- Default font size
- Larger font size
BY RUTHANN ROBINSON
rrobinson@nwitimes.com
219.662.5331 | Friday, October 06, 2006 | (No comments posted.)
CROWN POINT | After a husband and wife team from Frankfort, Ind., was stopped Thursday afternoon for speeding on the Toll Road, they started to sweat, police said.
That's because the couple was sitting on the second-largest drug bust in the history of the Lake County Drug Interdiction Unit, police said.
Shortly after the stop, the signs began to add up for Lake County Drug Interdiction Unit Deputy Cmdr. Oscar Martinez.
They told two different stories of where they were headed and how long they'd been gone, Martinez said. The driver had a Wisconsin license but was operating a minivan with Illinois plates.
When Martinez asked to search the vehicle, the occupants agreed, police said.
"I knocked around the bumper, and it sounded hollow," Martinez said.
Once he pried off the bumper and chipped off the Bondo, Martinez said he found what he suspected: 22 kilograms of cocaine buried deep within a false compartment in the rear of the minivan.
That represents a street value of $2.2 million -- the second largest find in the unit's history, Martinez said.
The man, 51, and the woman, 49, are in jail pending charges of cocaine possession.
Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez stopped by to congratulate the grinning Martinez, who was posing next to his find like a fisherman with a huge catch.
"We should send a letter to the folks at Frankfort to let them know," Dominguez said. "Think of the lives you just saved."
Back to story No comments posted.
- It wasn't clear, concise or focused on the topic in the story.
- It was a personal attack, vulgar, explicit or degrading, used actual or implied profanity or contained potentially libelous statements.
- It accused someone of being guilty of a crime.
- It promoted violence or illegal acts.
- It contained telephone numbers or street addresses, or e-mail addresses and links to Web sites other than nwi.com or government agencies.
In no way do these comments represent the views of The Times or Lee Enterprises.
Passionate views, pointed criticism and critical thinking are welcome. Name-calling, crude and profane language and personal abuse are not welcome.
Reader comments will not be edited - they will be approved or declined. They may be used in the print edition of the newspaper.
If you feel a posted comment has violated these guidelines, please email our New Media team the commenter's name, the comment and a link to the article.
For more information please read our Terms of Service.