Coldwater, Mich. During a routine traffic stop and commercial motor vehicle inspection, a Michigan State Police (MSP) commercial vehicle enforcement officer assigned to the Coldwater Post located 890 pounds of marijuana hidden in a semi-trailer. The seizure has an estimated street value of $1 million.

Early this morning, the officer was working at the weight scales on I-69 south of Coldwater when he noticed a burned out tail lamp on a commercial semi-trailer. The officer stopped the vehicle and conducted a routine equipment inspection.

While checking the trailer for proper blocking and bracing, the officer discovered 125 bricks of compacted marijuana within the load. The bricks were tightly wrapped and covered with a substance used to confuse drug dogs.

Troopers from the Coldwater Post and officers with the Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET) assisted with the search and seizure. The driver and passenger were arrested and are awaiting arraignment.

Commercial vehicle enforcement officers are assigned to the MSP Traffic Safety Division and are considered experts in dealing with all aspects of commercial vehicle enforcement. The officers receive special training in drug interdiction as a supplement to their main focus of promoting highway safety.