In the annals of narcotics distribution, people have come up with some pretty clever methods of transporting the goods, from cocaine surfboards to Tijuana drug tunnels, from anal cavities to loaded high heels. We once even heard of a dealer who preferred the comfort of a plain-Jane, four-door Mercedes E class, a totally suspicion-free, rich-grandma car.

But this guy — pure genius. Except he got caught. Allegedly.

Police in South Pasadena appeared to have been humming along on patrol early this morning when …

… they came across an old guy on a bike in the 300 block of Monterey Road. At 2:30 a.m.


View Larger Map

The bicycle didn't have a front light or rear reflector, as required by law, police alleged, so he was stopped, according to what South Pas Sgt. Tony Abdalla tells the Weekly.

And, uh, what's that thing in your hand? Smells kind of … pungent.

Cops say 53-year-old Marco Solis consented to a search: Officers found a whopping 23-pounds of marijuana in the cylindrical Igloo cooler he was carrying, alleges Abdalla.

Even if he didn't consent, officers could have searched Solis, he said, because the scent was obvious. “They could also smell marijuana on the outside of the cooler,” Abdalla said.

Solis was arrested and booked on suspicion of possession of marijuana for transportation and sale. He was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

We'll give the suspect here strong marks for originality. But the execution was sloppy (allegedly).

The lesson? If you're going to use your bike as a smuggling vessel, make sure it's street legal. Right?

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.