MEN RELEASED, DRUGS FOUND

Police try to be nice, then discover 22 pounds of marijuana.

The driver had no license or registration, but Des Moines police gave
him and his passenger a break. They realized later just how big a
break it was.

Police impounded the blue 1994 Taurus station wagon last month but let
the men walk away. While waiting for a tow truck, police found a
duffle bag on the floor containing 22 pounds of marijuana worth an
estimated $60,000.

By then, the men had disappeared. "No doubt after they were out of
sight, they were running like madmen," said police spokesman Sgt.
Bruce Elrod. "The police were trying to be nice."

Police had stopped the car for a traffic violation in the 1200 block
of East 14th Street at 10 p.m. on June 22. Neither man spoke English,
so officers used an interpreter. The driver of the car had no driver's
license, and the car was not registered to either man.

Investigators doubt that the men gave their real names. "They had no
identification, no driver's license and the addresses they gave were
no good," Elrod said.

Police had a similar surprise this spring.

A $1.3 million stash of cocaine was discovered in a car after it had
been sold in a police auction. Officers had seized the car after
making an arrest but hadn't searched it thoroughly. The drugs were
found when the car's new owner was having a stereo system installed.
The investigation continues.