Police find 90 pounds of meth in KCK traffic stop

A driver’s suspicious actions during a routine traffic stop by the Kansas Highway Patrol led to the discovery of more than 90 pounds of methamphetamine Tuesday morning in Kansas City, Kan.

The Highway Patrol pulled the large-box truck over about 9 a.m. near 10th Street and Kansas Avenue, said Officer Patrick McCallop, a spokesman for the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department.

“The driver seemed very nervous during the car stop,” McCallop said. “At that point, he (the trooper) figured that something might be wrong. He called for our narcotics unit to assist on suspicion of possible narcotics.”

The driver signed a consent form allowing officers to search the truck. The driver followed officers to the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department’s garage in the 5000 block of State Avenue, where the truck was searched.

During the search, officers found a large wooden crate containing a steel lathe. When panels were removed from the lathe, officers found a plastic trash can containing 15 packages, primarily in the shape of tubes, containing meth.

The meth is believed to have a street value of $2 million to $3 million, McCallop said, and to have originated from Mexico. Its destination was not known.

The driver was taken into custody and was being questioned. Police hope the drug bust leads to other arrests.

“It was good work by the officers involved, and we are happy to get this much meth off the streets,” McCallop said.

This story was originally published April 28, 2015 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Police find 90 pounds of meth in KCK traffic stop."