St. Martinville Business Owner, Three Others Arrested On Drug Charges

The owner of a St. Martinville convenience store has been arrested after police found hundreds of thousands of dollars in synthetic marijuana in the business.

Major Ginny Higgins with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office says narcotics agents performed a search warrant on the Am Star Express on E. Bridge Street in St. Martinville following a three month investigation into several drug complaints.

During the search, Higgins says agents found $128,000 worth of synthetic marijuana and roughly $230,000 in cash. Officers also discovered the store's owner, 43-year-old Nasar Latif Raja of Pakisatan, was in the country illegally.

20-year-old Ahmed Hashmi of Pakisatan and 21-year-old Trey Marceaux of St. Martinville were also arrested following the search. All three men have been booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center on various drug charges.