$36 Million Drug Bust on I-78: The Secret Highway Pipeline Feeding New Jersey’s Black Market

Greenwich Township, N.J. – A massive multi-million-dollar drug bust on I-78 East has exposed what could be one of the largest underground drug pipelines funneling illegal cannabis and psychedelics into New Jersey. The New Jersey State Police Mobile Safe Freight Unit intercepted a tractor-trailer carrying more than 20,000 pounds of marijuana, THC products, and psilocybin mushrooms—valued at a jaw-dropping $36 million.

The two men arrested in the bust, Fnu Attiq Ur-Rahman (22) and Haffez Rehman Ur (35), both from Stockton, California, were charged with multiple felony drug offenses, including possession with intent to distribute marijuana and psychedelics mushrooms. They are currently locked up at the Warren County Correctional Center awaiting a detention hearing.

A Drug Supermarket on Wheels

On February 18, troopers stopped the 18-wheeler for what seemed like a routine commercial vehicle inspection at milepost 6.3 in Greenwich Township. But instead of just checking for weight limits or safety violations, they found a rolling dispensary of illegal product:

• 8,042.2 pounds of raw hydroponic marijuana
• 12,062 pounds of various cannabis/THC products
• 13.4 pounds of psychedelics mushrooms

That’s not just a drug bust—it’s a full-scale shipment capable of stocking entire dispensaries, with the THC-laced products alone weighing more than six tons.

The West Coast Drug Pipeline?

The suspects aren’t from Jersey—they’re from California, a state where cannabis is fully legal. This raises a major question: Are black market operators moving massive amounts of West Coast product to the East Coast, where demand is high and regulations are tighter? Law enforcement has long suspected that major highways like I-78 are acting as secret drug corridors, moving high-grade West Coast weed into Jersey’s underground market. This latest bust only confirms the scale of that operation.

Psychedelics in the Mix—A Sign of a New Drug Wave?

While New Jersey has been slowly embracing cannabis legalization, the presence of psychedelics mushrooms in this shipment suggests that psychedelics are now becoming part of the black market economy. Psychedelics are still fully illegal in New Jersey, but cities like Denver and Oakland have already decriminalized them. With growing national interest in psychedelics for mental health treatment, this might be the beginning of a psychedelic black market boom in the Garden State.

How Did This Shipment Almost Make It?

The fact that over 20,000 pounds of illegal substances were being hauled through the state without raising suspicion until a traffic stop raises a critical question: How many of these shipments are slipping through undetected? Was this a one-off bust, or is there a massive supply chain moving drugs into Jersey under the radar? If so, who’s behind it? A cartel? A local crime ring? These are the questions that remain unanswered.

What’s Next for the Suspects?

Both men face serious charges and could be looking at decades in prison. But will this case stay local, or will federal authorities step in? Given the interstate drug transport, it wouldn’t be surprising if the feds get involved. One thing is clear: Jersey’s black market just took a major hit—but was it just the tip of the iceberg?

Stay locked in with The Garden State Gazette as we dig deeper into this case. Who else is running drugs down I-78? And how much product is already on the streets? We’ll be the ones to find out.