Arkansas State Police Troopers seized more than 680 pounds of illegal narcotics and 13 illegal firearms from individuals trafficking contraband on Arkansas interstates in the first three weeks of November.

The largest of the seizures occurred on Wednesday, November 20, in Crittenden County, where Troopers stopped a Dodge Ram pickup around 11:30 a.m. on I-40 eastbound. Troopers searched the pickup and discovered 211 pounds of illegal marijuana wrapped in bundles in the backseat floorboard and in the bed of the pickup. Troopers also located two handguns in the vehicle. The driver, Michael Penilton, 30, of Lamar, Miss., was arrested and transported to the Crittenden County Detention Center, where he was booked on felony charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver and Simultaneous Possession of Drugs and Firearms.

On November 18, around 6:15 p.m., Troopers stopped a Ford Fusion on I-40 eastbound near London.  A search of the vehicle resulted in the finding and seizure of 93 pounds of illegal marijuana, 10 pounds of THC wax, 1,000 vape cartridges, more than $21,000 in cash, and a Glock Pistol. Troopers arrested the driver, Graham Toth, 24, of Los Angeles, and transported him to the Pope County Detention Center, where he was booked on felony charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Simultaneous Possession of Drugs and Firearms. Toth told investigators he was traveling from Los Angeles to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, at around 4 a.m. Troopers conducted a traffic stop on I-40 eastbound in North Little Rock on a Ford F-150. A search of the bed of the pickup resulted in the finding of approximately 130 pounds of illegal marijuana stuffed in multiple trash bags. The driver, Srdjan Novakovic, 65, of La Mesa, Calif., was arrested and transported to the Pulaski County Detention Center, where he was booked on felony charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

On Monday, November 4, 2024, around 4:45 p.m., Troopers stopped a Toyota Camry for a traffic violation on I-40 eastbound near Morrilton. During a search of the vehicle, they discovered multiple trash bags in the trunk containing 124 pounds of illegal marijuana in vacuum-sealed bundles. The driver, Shouwei Jiang, 42, from New York, was arrested and taken to the Conway County Detention Center. He was booked on felony charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Jiang informed investigators that he was traveling from Oklahoma to New York.

Other significant seizures in November included:

• November 18, Troopers stopped a Toyota 4Runner in Lonoke County and found 73 pounds of illegal marijuana. Cameron Martin, 25, of Memphis, Tenn., was arrested and transported to Lonoke County Detention Center and charged with felony Possession with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Unauthorized Use of Another Person’s Property to Facilitate Certain Crimes.

• November 18, Troopers stopped a Chevrolet Equinox on I-40 in Pope County and discovered 21 pounds of individually wrapped packages of illegal marijuana. The driver, Richard Juritsch, 34, of Charlotte, N.C., was arrested and transported to the Pope County Detention Center, where he was booked on felony charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.     

• November 12, ASP stopped a Hyundai Elantra and seized a stolen firearm, a bag of 9mm bullets, approximately 39 Oxycodone pills, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. Arron Robinson, 33, of Maumelle, was arrested and transported to the Pulaski County Detention Center, where he was booked on felony charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Firearms by Certain Persons, Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and multiple traffic violations.

• November 11, Troopers stopped a Nissan Sentra in Pope County. A search found a large duffel bag containing 24 one-pound vacuum-sealed bags of illegal marijuana in the trunk of the vehicle. Emon Washington, 23, of Marietta, Ga., was arrested and transported to the Pope County Detention Center, charged with felony Possession with Intent to Deliver and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Washington told investigators he was traveling from Oklahoma City to Little Rock.

• November 10, Troopers stopped a Chrysler Pacifica in Lonoke County. Troopers discovered three cardboard boxes in the rear cargo area containing 49 pounds of illegal marijuana. The driver, a 51-year-old man from New Jersey, was arrested and transported to Lonoke County Detention Center, where he was booked on charges of felony Possession with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and use of another person’s property to facilitate a crime.

• November 4, ASP stopped a Chevrolet Malibu in Morrilton. Troopers found 51 pounds of individually packaged illegal marijuana. Wendy Hernandez, 30, of Dickinson, Texas, was transported to the Conway County Detention Center, where she was charged with felony Possession with the Purpose to Deliver and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Hernandez told investigators she was traveling from Oklahoma to Knoxville, TN.