Alton police seize nearly 65 pounds of cocaine

ALTON — Alton police seized about 65 pounds of cocaine, believed to be the department’s largest drug confiscation, after a traffic stop Thursday night, Assistant Chief Enrique Sotelo said.

Police arrested two suspects after seizing about 30 kilograms of the drug from a Ford pickup truck. Officers have not released the suspects’ names and were still determining charges Friday morning.

An Alton officer pulled over the truck about 6 p.m. near the junction of Moorefield Drive and West Mile 5 when the officer was unable to see the vehicle’s license plate, Sotelo said. The officer requested a K-9 unit from the Mission Police Department because the driver appeared unusually nervous.

The police dog then led officers to a built-in toolbox in the back of the truck, where they discovered six bundles of cocaine, Sotelo said.

“We’ve never kept a record, but we’ve never gotten a load like that,” the chief said. “This is setting the bar way high for the rest of our officers and our agency. We usually don’t see busts like this.”

Once the toolbox was opened revealing the cocaine, the driver took responsibility and asked that his wife, who was riding in the passenger seat, not be charged, Sotelo said.

The driver is likely to face drug possession charges with intent to distribute, the chief said. Officers are still determining the distance of the bust to a nearby school zone, which could add to the charges.