Indiana State Police seize 1,275 pounds of marijuana worth $5-8 million

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. -- Indiana State Police seized approximately 1,275 pounds of marijuana following a traffic stop Tuesday morning.

A trooper was on I-65 near the Lowell exit when the officer stopped a vehicle for a moving violation.

A K-9 alerted on the vehicle and the van was searched, police said.

Inside the van, troopers found 38 large boxes wrapped in black plastic wrap and 6 black garbage bags, reports said.

Inside the boxes, police said they found 1,264 individually sealed bags weighing approximately 1.5 pounds each. The bags contained a green plant material that field tested positive for marijuana, police said.

The total amount of marijuana seized weighed approximately 1,275 pounds and is estimated to be valued at between $5.7 and 8.5 million.

The driver, 31-year-old Christopher Colburn of California, was taken into custody on preliminary charges of dealing marijuana and possession of marijuana with a prior conviction.