Lowndes Co. deputies seize more than $500K

LOWNDES CO., GA (WALB) - The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a bulk currency case, after seizing more than half a million dollars in a traffic stop.

Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said deputies seized about $508,000 in traffic stop earlier this week.

Two Colombian men were headed south on I-75 when deputies noticed them driving erratically and pulled them over.

“In and out of lanes, just moving over the line, actually slowed down, got a very slow limit of speed on interstate, actually thought the driver might be impaired," said Paulk.

Sheriff Paulk said deputies reported that the men appeared to be very nervous, so they called in K-9s to check the car.

“The dogs, they’ll also alert on a large quantity of money like that, not just cause it’s money but because it has drugs attached to it," said Paulk.

Although deputies didn’t find drugs in the car, instead, they found thousands of dollars in duffle bags and in a dog food bag.

“All of it is wrapped the same way they wrap cocaine, the same rubber bands, the same style of wrapping. So, when you see that you know where that money’s derived from," said Paulk.

This is just one of many catches that deputies have come across during a simple traffic stop.

“I don’t know what slow down means. That’s not in our vocabulary," said Paulk.

The men are only facing traffic charges at the moment, but the sheriff said all others are on hold while law enforcement continues their investigation.

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