$400,000 found hidden in SUV

BOSTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The Massachusetts State Police said an SUV that was pulled over during a routine traffic stop was found to contain more than $400,000 in a hidden compartment.

The State Police said in a statement that Trooper Christopher Coscia spotted the 2005 Honda Pilot weaving outside of marked lines Sunday morning on the Massachusetts Turnpike, WCVB-TV, Boston, reported Tuesday.

The statement said Coscia obtained permission to search the SUV after the driver said he could not offer much information about the vehicle's owner. A drug-sniffing dog, named Axel, was brought in and detected the presence of narcotics in the back of the SUV beneath the third row of seats.

Troopers had the vehicle towed to the Millbury State Police barracks, where the hidden compartment under the seats was discovered, police said.

The statement said the money, estimated at $410,900, was turned over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Police said the driver had not been charged with a crime as of Monday evening.