Police: Couple smuggled $165,000 in meth

BUFORD, Ga. — Gwinnett County police arrested a man and woman after stopping their car for a routine traffic violation along Interstate 85 near the Mall of Georgia Sept. 3.

Police said when the officer began to question the driver, his itinerary did not make sense. The officer also noticed air fresheners hanging throughout the vehicle and a gym bag in the back seat.

Police said when the driver granted permission to the officer to search the vehicle, the officer found drugs in a gym bag and $2,500 in cash.

"The street value of the methamphetamine is around $165,000," said Cpl. Jake Smith with the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Police arrested Gerardo Guerrero and Karina Estrada.

Patrol officers with Gwinnett County's Interdiction Unit are specially trained to spot suspected drug smugglers along I-85, but police said for every one caught, many more get away.

"If we had more manpower to put on the interstate, we would probably catch more. But we are probably catching a pretty small percentage of the drugs traveling through here," Smith said.

WSBTV