500+ pounds of cocaine seized in northern Arizona traffic stop: DPS

AZ troopers find cocaine hidden in produce

DPS officials say drugs seized during the traffic stop in Holbrook have an estimated street value of up to $22.1 million.

PHOENIX – Officials with the Arizona Department of Public Safety announced the arrest of a driver in connection with a drug bust involving a commercial vehicle in northern Arizona.

Per a statement released on Jan. 8, the traffic stop happened on Jan. 6 along Interstate 40 East in Holbrook. A DPS trooper pulled over the tractor-trailer for civil traffic violations, and during the stop, troopers saw “multiple indicators of criminal activity.”

“A subsequent search of the truck and trailer revealed 553.8 pounds of cocaine concealed within a produce load,” read a portion of the statement. “Further investigation revealed the drugs were being smuggled from the cities of Salinas and Los Angeles, California, to Canada.”

DPS officials say the cocaine had an estimated street value of $16.6 million to $22.1 million.

Officials identified the driver as 31-year-old Amarjeet Singh Matharu. The suspect has been booked into Navajo County Jail, and is accused of multiple criminal offenses, including possession and transportation of narcotic drugs for sale.