Search Reveals Over $40 Million of Cocaine in Vehicle
Illinois State Police brought felony charges against 27-year-old Vanshpreet Singh and 36-year-old Manpreet Singh, both from Canada, after recovering over $40 million of cocaine during a traffic stop. Police pulled the duo over on the eastbound lane of Interstate 80 in Henry County near the Quad cities and officers noticed “numerous indicators of criminal activity” which they say provided justification for officers searching the vehicle. “ISP’s coordinated focus on trafficking is helping keep dangerous drugs out of our communities,” Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said in a statement following the arrest, which they say was assisted by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s Chicago Field Division. The duo are currently being held in the Henry County Jail awaiting their first court appearance. Given the assistance of the DEA and the large quantity of the drugs recovered, it is possible they could face federal charges, but whether the Department of Justice rather than state level prosecutors will ultimately prosecute the two remains to be seen.
Heavy Police Presence Along I-80 Remains
A simple google search will reveal that arrests for seizures of large quantities of drugs along Interstate 80 are very common in Illinois, with many law enforcement agencies on high alert for signs of drug trafficking on the highway. In fact, according to some recent statistics, in one county along the I-80 corridor in Illinois, there are more asset forfeitures per capita then anywhere in the United States. Many times in highway traffic stops police officers will quickly seek the assistance of a K-9 unit to alert them to the possible presence of drugs, although there are legal limitations on the use of these units and their use can easily violate a person’s constitutional rights in certain instances. Along with drugs, it is also common for police to look for large quantities of currency that they can seek to confiscate and retain using civil asset forfeiture. “Narcotics go in one direction, and cash goes in the other direction,” said Capt. Scott Compton, spokesman for Illinois State Police. “Interstates are certainly the fastest way to get somewhere, and there’s lots of traffic, so you can blend in pretty easily.” But even if officers suspect someone is involved in trafficking drugs or other legal activity, they cannot automatically stop or search any vehicle. With the right experienced criminal defense attorney, you can often point out illegalities in the stop, search, or seizure of drugs, other contraband, or bulk currency, which can lead to the dismissal of criminal charges and return of seizure money or other property. Anyone subject to criminal prosecution or investigation or has had money or assets seized by law enforcement should hire an experienced criminal defense attorney and asset forfeiture attorney to represent them to protect their freedom and constitutional rights.