Estimated $7 Million Cocaine Seizure Made During Routine DOT Inspection on I-70, Indiana State Police Say

Source: FOX

PUTNAM COUNTY, Ind. — A routine Department of Transportation (DOT) compliance inspection on Interstate 70 turned into a major drug seizure Saturday afternoon after an Indiana State Police (ISP) trooper discovered 309 pounds (about 140 kg) of suspected cocaine hidden inside a semi-truck’s sleeper berth, authorities announced.

ISP said the stop happened around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 3, 2026, near the 41 mile-marker eastbound on I-70, when a trooper conducted a compliance inspection on a blue International tractor-trailer. During the interaction, police reported observing “criminal indicators.” A K-9 unit later gave a positive alert, leading to a probable-cause search of the truck.

Two occupants were taken into custody without incident and transported to the Putnam County Jail. Both were preliminarily charged with dealing narcotics (Level 2 felony), and ICE deportation holdswere placed on each, police said.

Police identified the suspects as Gurpreet Singh, 25, of Fresno, California, and Jasveer Singh, 30, of Santa Clara, California.

According to ISP, the tractor-trailer was traveling from Joplin, Missouri, to Richmond, Indiana. Investigators estimated the street value of the seized cocaine at approximately $7 million.

In a statement, ISP Superintendent Anthony Scott highlighted the agency’s emphasis on full-time interdiction patrols aimed at keeping illegal drugs off Indiana roadways and out of local communities. ISP said the case was handled by a full-time interdiction trooper assigned to its Drug Enforcement Section.

As with all criminal cases, authorities stressed that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.