Chicago man with almost $500K worth of drugs arrested leaving Pittsburgh bus depot, police say
A Chicago man was arrested after police say he got off a Greyhound bus carrying almost $500,000 worth of drugs.
Police said Gregory Smith got off a Greyhound bus coming from St. Louis Tuesday afternoon.
He was carrying a small white duffle bag, but as he went to exit the terminal officers said they watched him avoid a K9 officer by cutting through a restricted area. Narcotic agents then asked to look inside his bag and when they did, they said they found the drugs.
According to a criminal report, Smith boarded a bus in St. Louis, Missouri, and then traveled 13 hours across several states with a bag full of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl before police finally arrested him at the Greyhound station in downtown Pittsburgh.
Officials said this location has recently become a hotspot for drug activity. Within the last month, the Attorney General’s office tells us there have been multiple drug seizures, totaling more than 2,500 bricks.
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“Tuesday’s seizure is an example of strong law enforcement collaboration. Together, we prevented more than $500,000 worth of fentanyl from hitting Pennsylvania streets, damaging our communities, and harming our friends, families, and neighbors,” said Attorney General Michelle Henry. “We know these drug traffickers will go to great lengths to make a profit and bring these poisons into our communities. Our office is committed to using every resource at our disposal to get these drugs off our streets and keep Pennsylvania safe for all who live here.”
We asked greyhound if they are making any changes to protect passengers. They told us illegal activity is a concern:
“As the largest intercity bus transportation provider in North America… illegal activity is a concern. In these instances, Greyhound cooperates fully with law enforcement,” said Greyhound’s Public Relations Manager Mike Ogulnick.
As for people who live and work in the area many didn’t want to go on camera, but said they aren’t surprised. One man who didn’t want us to show his face blamed the economy for the uptick in drug activity.
“People are losing hope; jobs, healthcare everybody is running from reality, and it can be pretty brutal if you don’t have money,” Michael said.
Smith is in custody at the Allegheny County Jail.
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