Local News in Brief : Workers Find $1 Million in Cocaine Alongside Freeway
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Caltrans workers sweeping up the Foothill Freeway in Sylmar on Wednesday stumbled upon a clear plastic bag containing a “suspicious-looking substance” that turned out to be more than $1 million worth of cocaine, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.
Workers discovered 4.5 pounds of the drug at 2:30 p.m. on the right shoulder under the freeway bridge at Astoria Street, Officer Bruce Turner said.
The cocaine was turned over to Los Angeles police for further study.
“It’s a very unusual situation to find that amount just lying on the side of the road,” police Sgt. Ken Dion said. “Dealers generally take a little better care of their stuff.”
Turner speculated that the package may have been part of a drug deal that was spoiled when someone was stopped for a traffic infraction.
“Someone may have been stopped and then tried to get rid of the stuff under the bridge,” he said
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