Police in Tampa Bay, Florida discovered 1,200 pounds of marijuana inside of a trailer used to keep tar hot during transport.

According to officials with the Florida Department of law Enforcement, the trailer was seized as part of a multi-jurisdicitonal investigation that, police say, uncovered two marijuana trafficking operations in the state. Kim Cannaday, spokeswoman for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Department, said the investigation led to more than forty arrests.

The trailer contained tar that had cooled. “It looked like huge chunks of coal,” Cannaday said. “Because it was cool, it was extra dense…But the agents were able to reveal the hidden compartments underneath it. … It was like a false top, if you will. Under plywood was a compartment that kept all of this packaged pot.

The investigation involved the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The probe began in September of 2009 when detectives learned that a Seminole County man was distributing high-grade marijuana, smuggled from California, to University of Central Florida students.

Marijuana is the one of the most common illegal drugs found in the United States. The penalties for possessing, trafficking, and selling this substance are based upon the quantity found. Possessing or trafficking 20 grams or less of marijuana is a misdemeanor offense, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1000 fine. All other charges, however, are felonious, and offenders face years in prison and fines of up to $100,000.

If you have been charged with a crime in Florida, please contact a Boca Raton criminal defense attorney of Eric N. Klein & Associates, P.A., by calling 561-353-2800.