ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A 35-year-old Apopka man was arrested Friday after the Florida Highway Patrol said he fled a traffic stop in downtown Orlando and was later found with nearly 200 pounds of marijuana inside a rented box truck.
Troopers said that around 1:28 p.m., they observed a white Penske truck with an Indiana tag turn right on a red light at Church Street and Garland Avenue without coming to a complete stop.
According to an arrest affidavit, troopers attempted to pull the truck over, but the driver continued slowly until reaching Church Street and Rosalind Avenue. Troopers said they saw the driver “moved around a lot in the passenger cab of the vehicle” before getting out and running south on Rosalind Avenue.
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Orlando police joined troopers as they chased and eventually apprehended the man on Jackson Street.
According to the affidavit, the driver was identified as Hamza Qadeer Qureshi, and troopers said he was the sole occupant of the truck.
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In addition, “a probable cause search of the vehicle” revealed a large crate containing eight cardboard boxes, each filled with vacuum‑sealed bags of a green leafy substance, according to the affidavit. Troopers reported finding packages that totaled 194 pounds that field‑tested positive for marijuana and negative for hemp.
Investigators said documents inside the truck showed it had been rented by Qureshi using a credit card found in his wallet.
Troopers also reported recovering a “man purse” containing an unknown amount of currency and three cellphones, which were turned over to the Orlando Police Department.
Qureshi was booked into the Orange County jail and faces charges of trafficking in marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, felony possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer without violence.
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Troopers said two outstanding Osceola County warrants were also confirmed during their investigation.