Driver didn’t know 435 pounds of marijuana were in van, Lancaster County deputy says

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Lancaster County deputies found $1 million worth of marijuana and THC products Thursday in a van west of Lincoln.

But the driver didn’t know what he was hauling, Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said.

Around 3:25 p.m., a deputy pulled over a Mercedes van for following too closely on Interstate 80 just west of Lincoln.

During the traffic stop, the deputy smelled marijuana, and the driver agreed to a search of the van, Houchin said.

Inside, deputies found 435.47 pounds of marijuana, 12,330 joints, 12.69 pounds of THC edibles and 5,384 THC vape cartridges.

“Through the investigation, probable cause was not developed that the driver knew what he was hauling,” Houchin said. “He was a carrier.”

The van was heading to New York from California, Houchin said.  An investigation is ongoing.