COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. -- The execution of a narcotics search warrant Tuesday night uncovered well over $1 million dollars worth of cocaine, investigators say.
“This is a large bust, no question about it, probably the largest bust we’ve seen in many years," said Captain Tom Storrar with the Collier County Sheriff's Office.
The drugs were found in a truck parked in an industrial area on Mannix Drive in Naples, just off Beck Boulevard, according to the Collier County Sheriff's Office.
The pickup truck, registered to 58-year-old Joseph Daniels of Naples, had an enclosed bed containing a suitcase. Inside the case, investigators found 45.9 kilograms of cocaine. That's over 101 pounds.
The street value of the drugs was estimated at $1.6 million.
Daniels was at the scene and was arrested and charged with Trafficking in Cocaine, and taken to the Naples Jail Center.
Daniels lived in the Montabello community off Airport Road. A neighbor told Fox-4 he was "utterly shocked" to hear of Daniels arrest. He said Daniels was very friendly to him.
According to the sheriff's office, Daniels has a previous arrest in 1985 for the importation of 28,000 pounds of marijuana. It was part of a sting called "Operation Everglades." His arrest was average considering the amount of drugs being taken in at that time.
“I can tell you the biggest load that we took off during that time was 102,000 pounds of marijuana. 1700 bales, I know that because I had to cut everyone of them and sample them," said Storrar.
Investigators predict a the street value of cocaine will increase due to the amount of cocaine seized in this bust.
