Feb 21, 2007 10:30 am US/Central
Mechanics Find 150 Lbs. Of Pot In Truck's Gas Tank
ST. PAUL, Minn. (CBS) ―
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Mechanics at a Minnesota Midas shop found 150 pounds of compressed marijuana hidden in a gas tank.
CBS
When a couple brought their pickup truck into a Midas service center in St. Paul, little did mechanics know they would find a $150,000, highly illegal problem.
The middle-aged couple, whose truck was towed in - a 48-year-old man and 62-year-old woman from Washington state - claimed not to have much money, reports Esme Murphy with CBS station WCCO in Minneapolis.
The mechanics at the Midas shop felt sorry for the two and gave them a lift to their Hastings, Minn., motel while they worked on the truck.
It didn't take long for the mechanics to discover the fuel system was clogged.
When the two suspects were told the tank needed to be replaced, they were "adamant" that the repair wasn't needed, said Kent Bailey, acting agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Twin Cities office.
Eventually, they relented but insisted that the pickup's old tank be saved.
When mechanics removed the gas tank from the truck, they noted the tank seemed inordinately heavy. It also had new weld marks.
"It took two big guys to move that gas tank," said mechanic Ted Thompson. "For a tank without much gas in it, that is pretty unusual."
The mechanics were suspicious and anxious to see what was causing the tank's weight discrepancy. They contacted police, but opened the gas tank to see what was inside before they arrived.
The 40-gallon gas tank held two metal boxes. Needle-nosed pliers pulled out marijuana.
As authorities descended upon the scene, the Midas men cut open the boxes and revealed 150 pounds of compressed marijuana. The estimated street value of the stash is $150,000.
The couple told investigators they were driving from Yakima, Wash., to Chicago, Bailey said.
"Their bad luck is their vehicle had some fuel problems and they ended up taking it into a Midas shop," Bailey said.
The two suspects in the case are in jail.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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