Truck Carrying Thousands Of Pounds Of Possible Marijuana Stopped In Pawhuska

A traffic stop in Pawhuska led to the discovery of what is believed to be thousands of pounds of marijuana.

Wednesday, January 9th 2019, 12:23 pm

By: Tess Maune

Truck Carrying Thousands Of Pounds Of Possible Marijuana Stopped In Pawhuska

Law enforcement has searched the semi-truck stopped in Pawhuska and say it was loaded with about 18,000 pounds of what investigators believe is marijuana -- loaded in 60 containers. Officers say it field tested positive for marijuana, but they are running more tests just to be sure.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics says it's only legal for someone to transport marijuana in Oklahoma if the person has an Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) Medical Marijuana License.

Pawhuska's police chief says neither men in the semi-truck had any Oklahoma licenses. OBN says this case likely falls under federal guidelines, since the truck was not from Oklahoma and not destined for Oklahoma.

If investigators determine it is marijuana, the transport would be illegal on a federal level.

Pawhuska Police Chief Rex Wickle says two officers pulled over the semi-truck just before 3 a.m. Wednesday because it didn’t stop at a stoplight in town.

When the officers walked up to the 18-wheeler, they reported smelling an odor of marijuana. Wickle said the truck field tested positive for marijuana. He also said paperwork indicated the truck is loaded with as much as 24,000 pounds of possible marijuana.

Wickle said two men who were following the truck in mini-van told officers they were the truck’s security team. Wickle said the mini-van ran the same stoplight as the semi.

The police chief said the driver and a passenger in the semi claimed they were hauling industrial hemp from Kentucky to Colorado and showed the officers a bill of lading, which is similar to a receipt.

Wickle said paperwork showed the truck has between 18,000 to 24,000 thousand pounds of possible marijuana stored in 60 containers.

The police chief said the bill of lading didn’t look right, and the men’s stories didn’t match.

Wickle said the four men are in police custody while multiple agencies investigate including Pawhuska Police, the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Multiple agencies respond to Pawhuska.

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