Semi’s diesel tank hid 1,262 pounds of liquid meth worth $4.4 million, Okla. cops say

Two were arrested in Norman, Oklahoma, on Monday after one of the largest meth seizures in state history — and it was found in a semi-truck’s diesel tank, police said.

Norman police and a local drug and violent crime task force investigated the truck at 9 a.m. on Monday when it was parked outside of a hotel, police said in a news release.

Officers uncovered 1,262 pounds of liquid methamphetamine, which was hidden in the truck’s passenger-side diesel tank, police said.

Sold on the street, that huge supply of drugs would have an estimated value of $4.4 million, according to Norman police.

The truck’s 36-year-old driver, Enrique Lara, of Chicago, Illinois, was arrested on charges of aggravated trafficking in illegal drugs, according to jail records.

Lara’s passenger, 21-year-old Jasmine Morales, of McAllen, Texas, was arrested on the same charge, police said.

Lara and Morales are being held at the Cleveland County Detention Center, according to police.

Investigation into the pair is ongoing.

Online jail records said Lara is due to appear in court on Nov. 13.

Meth is sometimes dissolved in water to make it easier to move in bulk, according to University of Arizona educational materials on meth and other illegal drugs. After liquid meth makes it to its destination — sneaking undetected past inspectors at ports or elsewhere — drug dealers can boil off the water to end up with solid drugs.

“This stated, there have been reports of some consumers preferring the drug in liquid form,” the university’s informational page of liquid meth said.

This story was originally published October 23, 2018 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Semi’s diesel tank hid 1,262 pounds of liquid meth worth $4.4 million, Okla. cops say."