Arkansas State Police Seize 775 Pounds of Drugs in Highway Busts

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas State Police troopers seized more than 775 pounds of illegal narcotics and arrested several suspects in recent traffic stops spanning the state's major highways, according to an Feb. 20, 2026, announcement from the agency.[1] In one key interception, troopers uncovered 24 trash bags holding approximately 600 pounds of marijuana alongside 15 boxes of THC products during a stop in Lonoke County. Driver Kemal Malicbegovic, 44, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was arrested and booked at the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Detention Center on felony charges of trafficking a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.[1] The operation reflects Arkansas' aggressive stance on interstate trafficking, with the State Police Interstate Criminal Patrol Unit leading the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas region in 2025 seizures.[3] That year, troopers confiscated record hauls including 1,154 pounds of methamphetamine — more than double the prior year's total — 750 pounds of cocaine, 127 pounds of fentanyl, and 17,700 pounds of marijuana, plus $1.6 million in cash, 28 weapons and 20 vehicles.[3] Nationwide, HIDTA efforts disrupted $17.7 billion in illicit profits.[3] Federal and local partnerships amplify these efforts, as seen in a Jonesboro operation where 15 suspects were arrested for large-scale trafficking, yielding hundreds of pounds of drugs, cash and illegal firearms, per U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Chief Chris Gibbons.[2] Meanwhile, a massive gang and drug crackdown in Northwest Arkansas, including NWA cities like Fayetteville and Springdale, produced over 300 arrests, seizures of drugs and firearms, and discovery of child abuse materials targeting local offenders.[4]