RICHMOND, Va. – Two men were arrested when troopers found nearly 600 pounds of high grade marijuana in the back of a Ford cargo van during a traffic stop on Interstate-95 in Richmond county, early Tuesday morning, authorities said.
Troopers stopped the white rental van on the northbound exit ramp from I-95 to southbound Route 295 just after 1:00 AM for a traffic violation, according to the Virginia State Police.
Troopers stopped the vehicle after pacing it for approximately 2 miles, and observing a failure to signal. After determining the vehicle was a rental vehicle from New Jersey, authorities observed another instance of failure to signal, and pulled the vehicle over.
After noticing something wasn’t right, a trooper brought out a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted to the presence of drugs, police said. A subsequent search of the vehicle found approximately 580 pounds of marijuana in the cargo hold.
Authorities say it might be the largest marijuana bust ever made in the area.
The driver, identified as Jin Fang Huang, 26, with the passenger unknown, both of Atlantic City, New Jersey were taken into custody.
They’re charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of more than 50 pounds of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether either man had an attorney, or whether they will post bond. The bond amount has yet to be set by a judge.
The estimated street value of the haul could be nearly $2 million, as authorities say the value of each pound could reach $4000.
