A major drug bust in North Carolina stopped an alleged drug trafficker from reaching his ultimate destination: Alabama.

WBTV reported that a traffic stop on I-77 in Iredell County, NC, on Friday evening eventually revealed approximately nine pounds of cocaine in the vehicle of Eyian Valenti Robotham.

Robotham, 53, was arrested after deputies noticed discrepancies in the information he provided during the traffic. Reportedly living Atlanta, GA, the man told law enforcement officers that he was traveling from West Virginia to Alabama at the time of the stop.

The deputies later searched Robotham’s vehicle and found four kilogram-sized packages with 8.8 pounds of cocaine inside of them. The estimated value of the narcotics is approximately $400,000.

An ensuing investigation into the matter, according to WBTV, concluded that Robotham is currently in the United States illegally.

The man has reportedly been charged with multiple felony drug trafficking charges and is being held on a $750,000 secured bond.

The Department of Homeland Security has also obtained an immigration detainer on Robotham.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn