Troopers: Trio busted with heroin in spare tire | Crime

KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC (WBTV)- Three men were arrested along Interstate 85 in Gaston County after Troopers found heroin inside their vehicle.

Sgt. D.L. Litaker with the N.C. Highway Patrol said the vehicle was stopped for following too closely on Interstate 85 near the U.S. 74 exit in Kings Mountain.

While conducting a search of the vehicle, troopers discovered 4 pounds of heroin hidden inside a spare tire.

Investigators say it has a street value of $150,000.

Adolfo Guzman Lopez, 31, Beltran Rodriquez Gerardo, 27, and Irving Eduardo Rodriquez-Munguia, 20, all of Charlotte, are charged with trafficking heroin and are being held in the Gaston County jail while investigators determine their immigration status. 

Kelly Miller is part of the Drug Prosecution Team at the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's office.

She says heroin trafficking is becoming a bigger problem in Charlotte and it's so organized it can be difficult to prosecute.

Dealers are good at hiding behind aliases and fake addresses.

"The police officers as well as our office are becoming wise to their ways and becoming more knowledgeable about how these heroin cells operate in order to prosecute these cases," said Miller.

Miller says the drugs often travel from Mexico through Ohio and on to Charlotte.

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