CHP dog finds several pounds of meth during traffic stop near Merced

Officers called in K-9 Beny on Wednesday to help them find 30 pounds of crystal methamphetamine during a vehicle traffic stop near Merced, according to the California Highway Patrol.

An officer stopped a 2011 white Ford Ranger at about 12:40 p.m. on Highway 99 near Mission Avenue because its windows were tinted, according to CHP.

While speaking with the driver, CHP said, the officer “noted several indicators of criminal activity” and brought in Beny to sniff the outside of the truck.

Beny gave a positive alert to the presence of drugs, and the driver consented to a search, officers said. The search revealed about 30 pounds of meth inside the vehicle’s spare tire, CHP said.

The driver was arrested and booked into the Merced County Sheriff’s Office Main Jail on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sale and transportation of methamphetamine, CHP said.

In a Facebook post, the CHP praised their working dog.

“Many of you have been asking where CHP K-9 Officer ‘Beny’ has been,” the post said. “Well Beny was on a well deserved vacation and returned back to work today. Beny didn’t miss a beat and was already back at, providing the highest level of safety, service, and security!”

This story was originally published November 21, 2018 at 7:00 PM.