Two men have been arrested in South Carolina after Anderson County deputies conducted a traffic stop — and found cocaine hidden behind what they thought was a pregnant woman’s stomach.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies pulled over Anthony Miller and Semeka Mitchem along Interstate 85 during what police said was a “proactive patrol.” Meacham appeared to be pregnant, but police said they soon identified a “red flag” when the pair “gave conflicting information about her ‘due date’.”
Anderson County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
Soon, police said Mitcham realized deputies were becoming suspicious of the pair’s story and he “immediately took off running.”
“Very quickly the drugs fell out of the fake rubber belly,” police said. While they were clearing the scene, they collected more than 1,500 grams of cocaine, they added.
The sheriff’s office posted about the incident Sunday, though county records show the pair were arrested on April 12. CBS News has reached out to the sheriff’s department for comment.
The office also shared an image showing a police officer’s large fake pregnancy belly, an I-85 sign, and what appeared to be seized cocaine.
Miller and Meacham now face cocaine trafficking charges, police said. Both were denied bond and have not yet been released, according to county jail records.
South Carolina warned earlier this year that the state was set to see a “significant increase” in drug overdose deaths. Most of those deaths were caused by opioids, the state said, as the state saw its overdose deaths jump from 1,734 in 2020 to 2,168 in 2021, compared to just 573 overdose deaths in 2012.
“Other drugs are being made with fentanyl — without the user’s knowledge — that can cause small amounts or even fatal overdoses,” Sara Goldsby, director of the state’s Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, said in February. “If exposure to an unsafe drug is likely, it’s important to have naloxone on hand in case of overdose.”
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Lee Cohen
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