Roadside CMV inspection uncovers $16.6 million worth of cocaine, Arizona DPS says

A tractor trailer driver was arrested this week after a roadside commercial vehicle inspection ended in the discovery of hundreds of pounds of cocaine.

On Monday, January 6, 2025, an Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement trooper stopped a Volvo tractor trailer along I-40 in Holbrook for “civil traffic violations.”

During the traffic stop and inspection, the trooper noticed “multiple indicators of criminal activity.”

During a search of the truck and trailer, police discovered 553.8 pounds of cocaine hidden in the truck’s load of produce.

AZDPS estimates the street value of the seized drugs at between $16.6 million and $22.1 million.

The driver of the truck, Amarjeet Singh Matharu, 31, was arrested and booked into Navajo County Jail on charges including possession and transportation of narcotic drugs for sale.

Authorities say that the drugs were being smuggled from Salinas and Los Angeles, California, to Canada.