Authorities: Santa Rosa man found with 68 pounds of marijuana in gift-wrapped boxes arrested in Nebraska

A trooper says the driver had told him the packages were gifts for a new baby.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

WOOD RIVER, Neb. - The Nebraska State Patrol says a trooper found nearly 70 pounds (31.75 kilograms) of marijuana inside gift-wrapped boxes in a vehicle driven by a Santa Rosa man.

The discovery happened Thursday afternoon on Interstate 80 near Wood River in south-central Nebraska. The trooper had pulled over a sport utility vehicle on suspicion of following another vehicle too closely. A search of the SUV turned up 68 pounds (30.84 kilograms) of marijuana in large gift-wrapped boxes. The trooper says the driver had told him the packages were gifts for a new baby.

The 56-year-old man was arrested on several drug-related charges.

The incident was reminiscent of a 2017 incident in which an elderly Lake County couple were found with 60 pounds of marijuana in gift-wrapped packages in their car on I-80. The couple, ages 80 and 71, told troopers the packages were Christmas gifts for family in Vermont.

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