BOISE, Idaho — A truck out of Portland was stopped by troopers in Idaho in the biggest marijuana bust in the state's history, police said.
The semi-truck, which was stopped between Boise and Mountain Home by Idaho State Police troopers, was allegedly filled with nearly 7,000 pounds of marijuana plants.
Idaho State Police officials said it was the largest marijuana bust in the agency's known history.
The driver, 36-year-old Denis V. Palamarchuk, of Portland, was arrested and charged with felony marijuana trafficking.
The truck was stopped on January 24 as as part of a routine, random commercial vehicle safety inspection, according to ISP spokesman Tim Marsano.
The driver's bill of lading, a document that details the cargo in the shipment, said the trailer was carrying 31 bags of hemp.
Marsano says the trooper detected a strong odor of marijuana during the inspection, and so opened one of the bags and performed a field test which showed the plant to be marijuana.
The plants have been sent to an independent lab for further testing.
