State police recover 340 pounds of pot

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Updated: February 21, 2012 8:28AM

Illinois State Police troopers patrolling Interstate 80 recovered more than 340 pounds of marijuana during two traffic stops this week, police said Wednesday.

About 11:30 a.m. Sunday, a trooper pulled over a Honda Accord for an equipment violation on eastbound Interstate 80 at Cicero Avenue, police said.

The trooper discovered about 250 pounds of marijuana in boxes on the back seat, with an estimated street value of $300,000, state police spokeswoman Monique Bond said.

The driver, Pedro Herrera, 23, and the passenger, Manuel Orona, 50, both of Calumet City, were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell it, state police said.

On Monday, another state trooper saw a Toyota Tundra pick-up truck improperly changing lanes and following too closely behind a vehicle on eastbound I-80 in LaSalle County, according to police.

Bond said the trooper found more than 90 pounds of marijuana in duffel bags inside the cargo area of the truck. Because it’s a higher-grade marijuana, its estimated value is $350,000, she said.

The driver, Abdullah Abdur-Rahim, 35 of Alston, Mass., was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell it, police said.