COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol and other members of the Six-State Trooper Project collaborated to remove drugs and illegal weapons from local communities.
The initiative began Thursday, March 11, and ended on Saturday, March 13. Along with the OSHP, the high-visibility enforcement included the Indiana State Police, Kentucky State Police, Michigan State Police and West Virginia State Police.
During the Six-State project, troopers of the Ohio State Highway Patrol made 21 illegal weapon arrests and 246 drug arrests. In all, the participating agencies made 539 drug arrests and 78 for illegal weapons.
“By stopping drugs and illegal weapons from being on our roadways, we are making an impact in our communities,” said Patrol Superintendent Colonel Richard S. Fambro.
“The partnerships with our neighboring states help make the roads safer for everyone to travel into and out of Ohio.”
Some highlights of the drug interdiction arrests in Ohio included:
• March 11, troopers stopped a vehicle on I-75 in Hancock County. Criminal indicators were observed, and a probable cause search revealed 66 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle.
• March 12, troopers stopped a vehicle on U.S. Route 35 in Gallia County. An OSHP canine alerted on the vehicle, and a probable cause search yielded 28 grams of methampheatmine and a loaded handgun in the engine compartment.
• March 13, troopers stopped a vehicle on I-80 in Sandusky County. An OSHP canine alerted on the vehicle, and a probable cause search revealed 63 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle.
• March 13, troopers stopped a vehicle on State Route 823 in Scioto County. Pat downs of the driver and a passenger revealed a total of 172 grams of methampheamine on their persons. A loaded firearm was also located in the vehicle.
The 6-State Trooper Project is a multi-state law enforcement partnership aimed at providing combined and coordinated law enforcement and security services in the areas of highway safety, criminal patrol and intelligence sharing.