Crime & Safety

Smyrna Traffic Stop Results in Multi-Million Dollar Drug Bust

The bust occurred at the intersection of the East-West Connector and Gaylor Street, according to jail records.

A routine traffic stop in Smyrna on Saturday morning turned out to be anything but when Cobb County Police discovered more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine worth more than $5 million inside the vehicle.

The Marietta Daily Journal reports that at 1:24 a.m. on Saturday, a red Chevrolet Impala with Tennessee plates was pulled over on the East-West Connector near the intersection of South Cobb Drive when it was observed that the car had crossed over the solid lines on either side of the lane it was supposed to be in.

Once the car was on the side of the road, a K9 officer detected drugs inside. Human officers then searched the car and came across 10 dummy car batteries, a suitcase, and several boxes, all filled with methamphetamine. In total, 132 pounds of meth were discovered inside the car.

According to Smyrna Police Cpl. Ed Cason, the current street value of methamphetamine is $100 a gram; at 132 pounds, the total value of the seized drugs is $5,987,414.40.

The driver of the Impala, 21-year-old Jose Antonio Pineda of Alpharetta, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor failure to maintain lane and felony methamphetamine trafficking. He is being held in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Smyrna-Vinings