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DORCHESTER COUNTY — Malfunctioning tail lights on a rented van from Georgia led to the discovery of eight boxes filled with over 150 pounds of marijuana and the arrest a Californian man, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office reported this week.
A sheriff’s deputy was on patrol Sept. 23 near Old Fort and Ballantine drives in the Ladson area when he noticed a black minivan driving without rear lights, according to the incident report.
After stopping the van, the deputy saw carboard boxes in the back seat printed with “CCTV Camera” and images of cameras. There was no branding visible, though what appeared to be Chinese writing was on one box.
Due to a language barrier, the deputy used a translator app on his phone to speak with driver Ping Nain, 45, of Sacramento, Ca., according to the incident report.
The rental agreement showed that Nain had picked up the van from Enterprise Rent-A-Car almost 18 hours prior in Atlanta.
Despite the air conditioning running inside the van, the deputy noticed Nain sweating and his eyes were bloodshot, according to the incident report. Nain told the deputy that the last time he’d slept was two weeks prior.
When questioned about the boxes in the back seat, Nain had no idea what they were, the report stated.
The deputy called for backup, including a police dog to search for narcotics. An officer with the North Charleston Police Department arrived and deployed a police dog to sniff the vehicle, according to the incident report.
The dog gave a positive alert for drugs, which the officers used as probable cause for a search, according to the arrest warrant.
Inside the boxes were scented dryers sheets covering 160 pounds of marijuana divided in heat-sealed bags, the incident report stated.
Nain gave vague replies when asked about his purpose for traveling to South Carolina. He said he was going to a friend’s house, but didn’t know where the friend lived, according to the incident report.
Nain was arrested on Sept. 23 and charged with trafficking marijuana. He was released from the Dorchester County Detention Center on a $75,000 bond, according to Lt. Chaz Easterlin.
This case is under investigation by the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and the Summerville Police Metro Narcotics Unit.
”}]] Ping Nain, 45, of Sacramento, Calif., arrested after a traffic stop in Dorchester County. Over 150 pounds of marijuana reportedly found in back of rental van. Read More