CLOVERDALE, Ind. — Indiana State Police arrested a semi driver in Putnam County on Monday after discovering nearly 400 pounds of cocaine in the vehicle.
According to a release, troopers stopped a commercial tractor-trailer on Interstate 70 eastbound near Cloverdale for speeding. During the stop, officers noticed “multiple criminal indicators suggesting the driver was operating below industry standards.” Police then requested and received consent to search the vehicle. During the search, troopers located 178 kilograms — approximately 392 pounds — of a substance believed to be cocaine. Troopers estimate the cocaine has a street value of around $9 million.
During the stop, ISP arrested the semi driver, 27-year-old Harmandeep Singh of Bakersfield, California. Authorities then booked him into the Putnam County Jail on the following preliminary charges:
- Dealing a narcotic drug — a Level 2 Felony
- Possession of a narcotic drug — a Level 3 Felony
Singh’s bond has been set at $30,000 cash. CBS4 obtained the following booking photo of Singh:
ISP indicated that Monday’s arrest was made by the Indiana State Police Interdiction Unit, which operates within the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section. ISP’s interdiction unit focuses on criminal incidents that occur along the Hoosier State’s major thoroughfares. Its goal is to “disrupt the flow of illegal drugs and other contraband before they reach Indiana communities.”
Monday wasn’t the first time troopers have caught a truck driver hauling a large amount of cocaine through Indiana. Since 2022, FOX59/CBS4 has reported on semi drivers trafficking large quantities of drugs through Indiana on at least six occasions.
In January, a semi driver was caught transporting $7 million-worth of cocaine through Putnam County. About 350 pounds of cocaine were found in a semi trailer at a Pilot Travel Center in Whiteland in June 2025.
Leave a Reply