LAMAR DEPUTIES SEIZE CASH

$240,160 Taken On I-59 Possibly A County Record

The confiscation of $240,160 in cash at a traffic stop on Interstate 59
Tuesday night by a Lamar County sheriff's deputy is believed to be the
biggest in the county's history, law enforcement officials said.

"It's the largest seizure in recent history in our immediate area for
sure," Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel said Wednesday as U.S. Drug
Enforcement Agency agents packed the bills - in various denominations from
$10s to $20s to $100s - to be taken to a DEA holding facility.

An unidentified Canadian citizen was taken into custody and later turned
over DEA agents.

Rigel said his deputy was on routine patrol on the interstate north when he
stopped the driver of a 2000 Honda Civic for traffic violations.

"He asked the driver if he could search the car and the driver agreed,"
Rigel said. "Because of the actions of the dog, we opened the trunk and
found the money."

Rigel said there was evidence that the cash was tied in with illegal drugs.
He would not provide specific details.

"The suspect told officers that he had no knowledge of the cash in the
trunk," Rigel said.

Rigel said because the driver was a Canadian, he called in the DEA and the
federal agency took over the investigation.

"This has international implications and our department is not equipped to
work at that level," Rigel said.

DEA officials cited the case as an ongoing investigation and would neither
identify the suspect nor provide what, if any, charges were filed against
him. He was being held at an undisclosed location.

Since the Lamar County Sheriff's Department's drug dog does not arrive
until next week, a Hattiesburg Police Department's K-9 officer assisted the
county with a search of the suspect's vehicle.

"I am very proud of our deputy, but because he does work narcotics I don't
want to identify him," Rigel said. "I am also glad for the help from
Hattiesburg's K-9 team."

If the confiscated money is forfeited, Lamar County will get to keep 80
percent. The other 20 percent will go to the federal government for its
handling of the case.

The money that is returned to Lamar County will be used to fight the drug
trade, a program that has seen at least double the number of drug arrests
in the county so far this year as compared to last year, Rigel said.

Rigel credits the formation of the Pine Belt Narcotics Enforce-ment Team in
February with the increase.

The program is the state's first, a pilot effort that joins sheriff's
deputies and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agents in fighting drug
trafficking.

During the first six months of this year, there have been 150 drug cases in
Pearl River and Lamar Counties, records show.

Ronald Arnold, the deputy assigned to the team, worked Lamar County's
narcotics program alone last year.

"I don't have numbers from last year, but I would say our arrests have more
than doubled," he said.

Arnold said the six-officer team of deputies in Lamar and Pearl River
counties and the narcotics bureau has made a big difference.

"Under our agreement, we can work in Pearl River and Pearl River deputies
can work in our county," he said.

Arnold said members team also are contract agents with the state Bureau of
Narcotics allowing them to work together.

Rigel said he's already fielding calls from other areas of the state
interested in establishing similar narcotics teams.

This is the second money seizure in the county this year. In February,
deputies seized $23,000.

The Lamar County Sheriff's Department is scheduled to receive $16,000 on
Friday as its share of the earlier forfeiture.

"This is illegal drug money and it will be used against illegal drugs,"
Rigel said. "I like the sound of that."