THP Knoxville Interdiction Team Joins Partnership
Friday, March 25, 2011 | 04:28am
NASHVILLE --- For the second time in as many days, the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Interdiction Plus program has a new partner. This time, THP’s Knoxville Interdiction team has joined forces with the Knoxville Police Department and the Appalachian High Intensity Drug Trafficking area to form a newly created Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) Interdiction Plus program.
“This partnership, along with the recently established relationship with the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, demonstrates the Highway Patrol’s commitment to win the war on drug trafficking on each side of the state,” said Bill Gibbons, Commissioner for the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. “Ultimately, our goal is to have drug and criminal interdiction partnerships with agencies across Tennessee.”
The DHE Interdiction Plus team is comprised of a Task Force Commander and three full-time law enforcement personnel, including two State Troopers and a Knoxville Police Department Officer. Support for the initiative is provided by Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) program. AHIDTA supports law enforcement agencies based on their commitment to sharing intelligence, partnerships and commingled resources in response to the harmful impact of all criminal activities.
Fast at work, the DHE Interdiction Plus team has already discovered a significant amount of U.S. currency and drugs during a traffic stop in Knox County on Monday, March 21. At approximately 3:15 p.m., Knoxville PD Officer Adam Stephens initiated a stop of a 2010 Dodge Avenger bearing Connecticut plates for speeding on Interstate 75 southbound at the 111 mile marker. Conflicting stories from the two occupants prompted further investigation, which revealed their vehicle was a past-due rental.
Officer Stephens, assisted by Trooper Kelly Smith, received consent to search the vehicle and discovered $24,737 in U.S. currency, a misdemeanor amount of marijuana and seventeen 30 milligram Oxycodone pills with a street value of $900.
Passenger David Perdue, 50, of Sanford, Fla., was arrested for possession of Schedule II drugs for resale and booked in the Knox County Jail. A photo of the suspect can be obtained from the Knox County Sheriff’s Department. Driver David Huff, 25, of Deland, Fla., was released.
The Tennessee Department of Safety’s (www.TN.Gov/safety) mission is to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.
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