Dog sniffs out $2 million worth of drugs in truck at New Jersey rest stop

New Jersey authorities say that they discovered more than $2 million worth of illegal drugs hidden inside a secret compartment in the sleeper berth of a truck on Tuesday

According to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, “On Tuesday evening, May 1, officers with the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force conducted an interdiction stop at the Woodrow Wilson Service Area on the New Jersey Turnpike in Hamilton Township. Detective Sergeant Joe Angarone utilized his K-9 partner, Bela, to conduct a drug sniff of both the tractor and the trailer after detectives became suspicious of the driver’s nervous demeanor. Bela alerted to the scent of narcotics within the sleeping section of the tractor. A search of this area revealed a hidden compartment in the ceiling of the tractor where officers located 13 kilograms of cocaine and four kilograms of heroin.”

The street value of the cocaine is estimated at $1.3 million. The street value of the heroin is approximately $800,000.

After the drugs were discovered, authorities arrested 44 year old Florida-based truck driver Frank Rosario and charged him with several narcotics related offenses. His truck was seized by law enforcement.

The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Hamilton, Princeton and Trenton police departments all assisted in the investigation.