Pubdate: Tue, 22 Oct 2002
Source: Manhattan Mercury, The (KS)
Copyright: 2002 The Manhattan Mercury
Contact:  http://www.themercury.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1761
Author: Scott Daugherty
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

RECORD METH SEIZURE MADE

The Kansas Highway Patrol stumbled upon an estimated $2.8 million worth of 
methamphetamine after a routine traffic stop of a California van on 
Interstate 70 Thursday in Geary County.

The KHP seized about 69 pounds of meth that was hidden inside the rear 
cargo-area sidewalls of the van.

This was the largest meth seizure in Kansas history, and the largest 
intradiction seizure this year said Dan Stitt, resident agent in charge at 
the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency's Overland Park office. It was the 
fifth-largest meth seizure reported this year for the DEA. Alfredo Roman, 
28, of Pacoima, Calif., was arrested and charged with possession of meth 
with intent to deliver, no Kansas drug tax stamp, and possession of a 
communication device to facilitate a drug transaction. He is confined at 
the Geary County jail on $500,000 bond. Rosa Florez, 23, of Sylmar, Calif., 
and two children, were in the vehicle at the time of Roman's arrest. Florez 
was arrested, but was released after questioning.

"They were not co-conspirators to this crime," said KHP Lt. Bruce Hyman. 
The van was traveling east when the KHP pulled it over for speeding at mile 
marker 295 at 10:20 a.m. Thursday.

In an apparently unrelated case, Junction City Police Ofc. Jim Oehm, a K-9 
patrol officer, seized 4 pounds of meth in another routine traffic stop 
three hours later, also on I-70. The estimated $106,000 worth of meth was 
hidden in the sidewalls of the cargo area of a Chevrolet Suburban from Arizona.

Carlos Alcaraz, 36, of Chandler, Ariz., was arrested and charged with 
possession of meth with intent to deliver, no Kansas drug tax stamp, and 
possession of a communication device to facilitate a drug transaction. He 
is confined at the Geary County jail on $100,000 bond. The van was 
traveling east when Oehm pulled it over for a traffic violation at mile 
marker 299.
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