Illinois Traffic Stop Uncovers Stunning $40 Million Of Cocaine

Most people, if they're going to do anything at all on the day after Thanksgiving (aka Black Friday), are more than likely going to be doing something that revolves around holiday shopping and the big after-Thanksgiving sales we see each year.

That's most people, but not all, obviously.

There are also people who apparently were looking for some financial help with their gift-giving this year, and decided that finding a way to sell forty million dollars worth of cocaine would give them the cash-flow they're looking for when it comes to holiday gift-buying.

Even Though $40 Million Worth Of Cocaine Is A Lot (Over 1,100 Pounds) For Any Drug Bust, There Have Been Much Bigger Ones Over The Years

Here's just a short list of some huge drug busts over recent years:

• 2005: Cocaine, meth, and other drugs were all found in the same place on the same day on their way from Columbia. Total value of the seized drugs: $350 million.
• 1989, Texas-Mexico border: 14 tons of cocaine.
• 2007, San Diego: Marijuana, cocaine, meth, and even heroin. They also recovered $45 million in hard cash and $9 million in assets.
• 1991, Los Angeles: 21.4 tons of cocaine, valued at $6.9 billion
• 2015, San Diego: 50,000 pounds of cocaine, valued at over $800 million
• 2015, San Diego (again): 32 tons of cocaine and two tons of heroin, worth billions.

Friday's Bust Here In Illinois Began With A Motor Vehicle Inspection At Around 2pm Near Geneseo

In the interests of full disclosure, I'm forced to confess that I've never trafficked contraband of any sort (except maybe bringing back 5 cases of Coors from Colorado, because that's what you had to do to get it back in the day), so I'm not sure about precautions, procedures, and protocols when you're the trafficker.

I'm guessing that poor driving when you have a semi-truck packed solid with bricks of cocaine is something to be avoided...but the alleged perpetrators of this crime know that now.

Chicago Sun-Times:

An Illinois State trooper stopped their Volvo truck for a “motor vehicle inspection” about 2 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 in Geneseo, which is about 150 miles west of Chicago, state police said.

“Numerous indicators of criminal activity” were spotted during an initial search, leading to a subsequent inspection in which troopers found about 1,146 pounds of cocaine, according to police.

Vanshpreet Singh, 27, and Manpreet Singh, 36, both from Ontario, Canada, were each charged with Class X felony counts of cocaine trafficking, possession of cocaine with the intent to deliver and possession of cocaine.