POLICE SEIZE 2 TONS OF POT AFTER WATCHING SEMITRAILER

October 22, 2001

Hammond -- Police confiscated more than 2 tons of marijuana and arrested
five people after watching vehicles approach a semitrailer in an abandoned
field and receive boxes.

On Saturday, Hammond police noticed the semitrailer rig being driven in a
suspicious manner and off the normal truck routes. The truck went to a lot
in East Chicago, followed by a Chevrolet Blazer.

"The truck sat there for six minutes as the Blazer left," said Hammond
police Detective Sgt. Paul Dancer. About five minutes later, he said, a van
and a car pulled up.

Dancer said men exited both vehicles and began unloading the truck, filling
the van with brown boxes.

Police continued to watch as another van pulled up and more men began to
load that van with boxes.

Dancer said police followed the vehicles and stopped them, confiscating
4,100 pounds of marijuana, three digital scales and two handguns. The
marijuana had a street value of $3.4million, he said.