The Maryland Transportation Police arrested three South Carolina men who had 625 grams of heroin in their car Sunday on I-95 in Baltimore.
An MDTA Police officer stopped a 2015 Chevrolet sedan who was going 64 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour zone on I-95 near Canton Avenue.
The driver, Raken Kwame Gause, 26, of Longs, SC, was interviewed by police. Officers then found 6,250 pouches of heroin, less than 10 grams of marijuana, and prescription cough medicine in the vehicle's cabin.
Police said Gause was traveling from New Jersey to South Carolina and was accompanied by Rashawn Deon'Tra Gore, 25 of Little River, SC, and Jamison Damar Ward, 23, of Aynor, SC. All three were taken into custody without incident.
Police say none of the men took responsibility for the heroin. A digital scale and drug packaging materials were also found inside the sedan.
All three suspects were charged with drug possession - heroin with intent to distribute, importation of at least four grams of opium, among other charges.
All three men were transported to the Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Facility where Gause was held on $500,000 bail, and Gore and Ward on $400,000 bail.
"This is a significant arrest in Maryland's fight against the destructive heroin and opiod epidemic," MDTA Police chief Colonel Jerry Jones said. "The MDTA Police are committed to keeping heroin out of Maryland's communities and to shutting down dealers using our interstates as transport routes to destroy communities in neighboring states."
Governor Larry Hogan commended the MDTA Police for fighting this growing epidemic.
"My administration is committed to providing better treatment, support for prevention and stronger law enforcement efforts to address this crisis. Preventing drugs from entering our state is just as important as helping individuals and families struggling with heroin addiction," Gov. Hogan said.
