Idaho troopers find 6,700 pounds of suspected pot in semi truck during inspection

Idaho State Police (ISP) say a truck driver is facing felony charges related to an historically large drug bust made last week.

The massive drug discovery happened on Thursday, January 24, at the East Boise Port of Entry, according to a news release from ISP.

Troopers say that 36 year old Portland-based truck driver Denis V. Palamarchuk was passing through the eastbound port of entry when a trooper conducting an inspection became suspicious.

“As part of the inspection, the trooper inspected the cargo’s bill of lading, which declared the load as hemp. However, the trooper’s training and experience made him suspicious that the cargo was in fact marijuana, not industrial hemp.

Upon further investigation of one of the 31 large bags contained within the Oregon-registered rig, the trooper observed a green, leafy substance which appeared to be marijuana.”

After testing the substance with a Narcotic Identification Kit, the trooper detected the presence of THC. A drug dog that was brought in to inspect the truck also alerted to the presence of drugs.

Palamarchuk was placed under arrest and has been charged with felony trafficking in marjuana.

The total weight of the suspected marijuana was 6,701 pounds.

A sample of the suspected marijuana has been sent to a lab for further testing.

Authorities say that this is the “largest Idaho State Police trafficking seizure of this type in any present-day trooper’s memory.”

ISP shared their marijuana seizure amounts from 2014-2018 for comparison:
2014 – 319 lbs.
2015 – 458 lbs.
2016 – 507 lbs.
2017 – 1,375 lbs.
2018 – 2131 lbs.