More than $2 million in illegal drugs were taken off the streetsand two men arrested following a traffic stop on Interstate 55 bythe Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, said authorities.

Sgt. Jason Cole stopped a 1996 Volkswagen Jetta driven by IrvinDemond Beene, 30, of Houston, Texas, for improper equipment aroundthe 38 mile marker of I-55 about 11 p.m. Thursday, according toCapt. Chris Picou, who was nearby at the time of the stop.

“While Sgt. Cole was talking with the guy, I walked around thecar and could smell marijuana near the trunk of the vehicle,” saidPicou.

The officers got consent to search the vehicle, where theyallegedly found a speaker box filled with narcotics in thetrunk.

Upon disassembling the box and pulling the speakers out,officers found 18 pounds of marijuana, 22 pounds of cocaine and$10,500 in cash, said Picou.

He explained that 10 kilos of cocaine can be processed to makedouble the weight of crack cocaine. The cocaine was estimated tohave a street value of at least $2 million.

After finding the narcotics, authorities arrested Beene andtransported him to the Lincoln County Jail. He was charged withpossession of cocaine with intent and possession of marijuana withintent, jail records show.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Agent DustinBairfield was assisted by Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics AgentBilly Ray Warner in having Beene contact Kermit O. Rogers, 28, ofShannon, where Beene was allegedly taking the narcotics.

Rogers came down from Tupelo to meet Beene, said Picou. Rogersthen received the speaker box, and its contents, from Beene.

“Then we stopped him (Rogers) on the interstate,” said Picou.”We ran Rico (K-9) around the truck and he alerted to the back,where the speaker box was.”

Rogers was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine withintent and possession of marijuana with intent. He is being held inthe Lincoln County Jail on a $2 million bond. Beene’s bond was setat $10,000.

“(Bairfield and Warner) did an excellent job of taking thisthing further and getting an actual buy-bust,” said Picou.

Beene’s vehicle and Rogers’ 1990 Chevrolet truck wereconfiscated in the traffic stops.

Lincoln County Sheriff Lynn Boyte was elated by the hard workthat paid off this week with two traffic stops allowing authoritiesto clear the streets of large amounts of narcotics.

“It’s been a busy week with the two stops bringingapprehensions, currency and drugs seized,” he said. “The officers’training and hard work paid off. It just shows how dedicated theyare to their jobs.”