At 5:50 PM on the afternoon of August 6th, 2018, a routine traffic stop by an Indiana State Trooper of a semi-tractor on the Toll Road led to the arrest of an Illinois man on charges of possession of marijuana.
Master Trooper Tim McCormick observed a commercial motor vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed near the 56 mile marker of Interstate 90, near Rolling Prairie, Indiana.
The semi-truck was being driven by Ahmad Alkhazaleh, 30, of Harwood Heights, Illinois.
Also present in the vehicle was a co-driver, Jordan Khazaleh, 33, of Harwood Heighs, Illinois. Master Trooper McCormick detected a strong odor associated with marijuana coming from within the vehicle.
Together with Trooper Trent Jones, a search of the vehicle was conducted, yielding the seizure of the alleged marijuana. The driver, Mr Alkhazaleh claimed sole possession of the alleged marijuana and was incarcerated at LaPorte County Jail for possession of marijuana.
The Indiana State Police will be conducting a region wide initiative called Operation Pull Over in the coming days.
The operation is scheduled to begin on August 15th and will run until September 1st. Enforcement activities will be focused on but not limited to, targeting impaired driving by motorists.
The Indiana State Police would like to remind people to be on the lookout for impaired driving and wants to encourage motorists to report such drivers. Seemingly small tips given by the public can lead to arrests and help us keep the roadways safe for everyone.
