SALINE COUNTY, Ark. — A major drug bust occurred in February on Interstate 30 in Arkansas.
The Saline County Sheriff’s Office reported on its social media that on Sunday, February 22, its deputies initiated a traffic stop on Interstate 30 near the 106-mile marker that resulted in a significant narcotics seizure.
SCSO says that during the traffic stop, deputies discovered a large quantity of illegal narcotics inside the vehicle. As a result of the investigation, deputies seized over 2,800 pounds of narcotics with an estimated street value of $4.5 million.
The driver of the vehicle, Firdavs Nazarov, 38, of the Republic of Tajikistan, was taken into custody without incident. Nazarov was found to be in the United States on an expired tourist visa.
He was in possession of a New York driver’s license, and the commercial vehicle he was operating displayed Alaska license plates, according to the release.
During the investigation, the owner of the company, Aleksey Shcherbina, stated that Nazarov was transporting the contents of the truck from Oregon to North Carolina.
“This investigation was conducted in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI),” SCSO stated. “This seizure represents a substantial disruption to the distribution of illegal narcotics and highlights the Saline County Sheriff’s Office’s continued commitment to public safety and proactive law enforcement efforts.”
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
