February 15, 2024
Three recent traffic stops by the Arkansas State Police (ASP) netted almost 200 pounds of illegal marijuana on Arkansas interstates.
On Thursday, February 8, at approximately 9:15 a.m., ASP stopped a vehicle in Little Rock at the 65th Street exit on Interstate 30 East for a traffic violation.
A search of the vehicle found two trash bags containing 38 vacuum-sealed bags of illegal marijuana, each weighing approximately 1 pound. The driver, Viet Quoc Truong, 41, of Arlington, Texas, was placed under arrest and transported to the Pulaski County Detention Center.
Truong is being charged with Felony Furnishing, Possessing or Using Prohibited Articles, Felony Possession of Controlled Substances, Felony Intent to deliver, and Improper Lane Use.
Two hours later, at approximately 11:25 a.m., ASP pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 40 in Conway County.
The Trooper detected a strong odor of marijuana, and a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of two large bags containing vacuum-sealed bundles of illegal marijuana weighing 62 pounds.
ASP took the driver, Anouphab Thairathom, 44, of Las Vegas, Nevada, into custody and transported him to the Conway County Detention Center. Thairathom is being charged with Felony Possession with the Purpose to Deliver a Controlled Substance and Felony Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
On Friday, February 9th, at approximately 5 p.m., ASP pulled over an SUV on Interstate 40 Eastbound in Conway County for a traffic violation. During the stop, a K-9 alerted Troopers to illegal drugs in the vehicle, leading to the discover of 94 1-pound packages of illegal marijuana.
The driver, Frederick Diehl of El Portal, Florida, 63, was arrested and transported to the Conway County Detention Center. Diehl was charged with Felony Possession with the Purpose to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving Left of Center.