WHITELAND, Ind. — Cargo theft?
It was more of a “cargo left” situation in Indiana.
According to a press release by the Whiteland, Ind. police, they were able to get one of the largest cocaine seizures on record because a driver parked at a Pilot store came out to find his trailer loaded with cocaine.
Officers with the Whiteland Police Department responded to a call at the Pilot Travel Center on East County Road 500 North around 5 p.m. on June 17, 2025, police said. They were alerted by a truck driver who noticed his trailer seal had been removed and replaced.
According to WISH-TV, the driver opened the trailer when officers arrived and found 10 boxes of cociane that were not part of the original load inside.
Officers recovered 350 pounds of cocaine from inside the boxes, with an estimated street value of $16 million, police said. Whiteland Police Chief Derek Cox said, according to his research, it was the largest cocaine seizure ever in Indiana.
The stockpile has compelled the department to destroy much of what had accumulated.
“We have since transferred the narcotics out of our custody pending destruction,” Cox stated. “Retaining the narcotics posed serious safety concern for our officers because of the limited amount of space we have for evidence storage and the concern that someone would come looking for their product.”
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.
