At first glance, nothing about the semi-truck rolling along Interstate 70 seemed unusual.
It moved with the steady, unremarkable rhythm of countless freight haulers crisscrossing the state every day. But sometimes, even in routine traffic stops, trained eyes can spot small details that lead to discoveries far bigger than anyone expects.
That’s exactly what happened in Putnam County this past weekend, where a routine enforcement action turned into a major drug seizure.
Routine Stop Turns into Major Seizure
According to the Indiana State Police, a trooper conducting a standard compliance inspection around 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the 41-mile marker on eastbound I-70 noticed something that warranted a closer look. A police K-9 alerted on the vehicle, prompting a more thorough search.
Inside the truck’s sleeper compartment, officers discovered roughly 309 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated street value of approximately $7 million. The semi had reportedly originated in Joplin and was en route to Richmond.
Two individuals inside the truck were detained. They were identified as Gurpreet Singh, 25, of Fresno, California, and Jasveer Singh, 30, of Santa Clara, California. Both have been formally charged with Level 2 felony dealing in narcotics under Indiana law. Authorities also confirmed that ICE issued detainers for both suspects.
The Role of Specialized Enforcement
The trooper involved in the stop serves as a full-time interdiction officer with the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section. These specialized officers focus on intercepting large-scale drug shipments before they can reach communities, and this seizure demonstrates the effectiveness of such efforts.
State police emphasized that the charges are allegations; the suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing, with additional information expected as the case progresses.
A Reminder of the Bigger Picture
What began as an ordinary traffic inspection prevented millions of dollars’ worth of illegal narcotics from reaching the streets. The seizure underscores the vast networks that move drugs across state lines—and the critical role of vigilance, training, and routine policing in disrupting them.
In the end, a routine stop on I-70 serves as a reminder: sometimes, the smallest actions can prevent the largest dangers, reinforcing the real-world impact of proactive law enforcement.