6.6 pounds of meth found in impounded vehicle

GEORGE – More than six and a half pounds of methamphetamine were taken off the streets recently after a Washington State Patrol trooper stopped a speeding vehicle in Grant County.

A few days the stop, the tow operator who impounded the car discovered the meth. He was looking in the vehicle for information on the registered owner when he discovered a suspicious package.

The car that was stopped was a 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche on Highway 283 near George on Sept. 17. The driver had a suspended California driver license. He was cited and released, and the car was impounded.

Later, the tow operator alerted the trooper, who called Grant County’s Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET). The vehicle was transferred to the INET’s secure impound facility, and detectives applied for a search warrant.

On Sept. 27, INET detectives found a hidden interior compartment holding more than six and a half pounds of packaged meth with a street value of more than $190,000. A warrant for the driver’s arrest was pending last Friday.

“This is a good example of what traffic enforcement can accomplish,” said Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones.