Iowa police: 5 bundles of suspected cocaine found during I-10 traffic stop

Authorities say five bundles of suspected cocaine were found during a traffic stop on I-10 in... — Authorities say five bundles of suspected cocaine were found during a traffic stop on I-10 in Iowa, La., on Sept. 9, 2023.(Iowa Police Department)

IOWA, La. (KPLC) - Five bundles of what authorities believe are cocaine were seized during a traffic stop on I-10 in the early hours of Sept. 9, according to officials with the Iowa Police Department.

When Sr. Cpl. Rodney Daigle pulled a vehicle over for a traffic violation around 12:12 a.m., he requested to search the vehicle because the driver and passenger were acting suspiciously, police said. The occupants declined, but police dog Buck was brought in, giving a positive alert.

A subsequent search found the five bundles in a hidden compartment, police said.

The driver, Erma Smith, and the passenger Gregory Swanks, both of Texas, were booked into Calcasieu Correctional Center on one count of possession with intent of CDS II. Both bonds were set at $950,000 by Judge Tony Fazzio.

Assisting the Iowa Police Department in the investigation was the Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Team Task Force.

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