ISP has an Ace up their sleeve

WALLACE – Looks like Trooper Ace is at it again.

Idaho State Police reports that two Washington men were arrested for trafficking marijuana through the Silver Valley Wednesday following a traffic stop on Interstate 90.

At approximately 5 p.m. that afternoon, Trooper Kevin Kessler pulled over a rented Sedan type vehicle heading eastbound for a traffic violation. The Trooper then made contact with the two occupants, 26 year-old Marcos Josa of Cheney, Wash. and 26 year-old Mohamed Osman of Spokane, Wash.

During the stop, Kessler released his drug detection K9, a black Labrador named Ace, to sniff outside the vehicle.

ISP Captain John Kempf explains that this was when the discovery was made.

“(Kessler) conducted a search after the dog had indicated the presence of drugs, then they were found in the trunk.”

The 30 pounds of marijuana seized was found in black suitcases.

Upon further investigation, ISP believes that the large quantity of marijuana was most likely not purchased legally in Washington or any other state.

Regardless of where it was acquired though, the amount of marijuana found in the vehicle is illegal to possess even in states that have decriminalized the substance.

Captain Kempf states that they do not know where the duo were taking the weed, but they are confident that it was not stopping in Idaho.

Suspects involved in these types of large scale pot busts in the past are normally heading east to sell their product.

“The further east you go, the more its worth,” Kempf explained.

Josa and Osman were booked into the Shoshone County jail for separate Drug Trafficking in Marijuana charges. It is unknown if they have any prior criminal charges.

Trooper Kessler and Ace are well known for these types of busts in and out of the Silver Valley.

“This is why we have both Kevin and Ace, to interdict these loads and others moving across the State of Idaho,” Kempf said. “Both are part of a national drug interdiction program.”