ST. TAMMANY PARISH – Deputies in St. Tammany Parish seized an estimated $1.5 million worth of heroin during a weekend traffic stop, according to the sheriff’s office.
On Saturday afternoon, deputies with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Highway Enforcement Unit stopped two vehicles that were traveling together eastbound on I-12. The drivers of the two vehicles, both “non-resident aliens,” gave brief explanations of a beach vacation, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies, with the assistance of K-9 units, searched both vehicles and uncovered 7.6 pounds of pure heroin hidden inside.
According to the sheriff’s office, it is the largest single seizure of heroin in St. Tammany Parish history. The estimated street value of the heroin is $1.5 million, the sheriff's office says. A post-stop interview led deputies to believe the drugs were intended for sale in St. Tammany Parish.
Both drivers were arrested and are being held on a $750,000 bond for possession and conspiracy to distribute heroin as well as other traffic violations.
