Sheriff’s deputies in Alabama arrested a Long Beach man last week when they found 64 pounds of “high-grade marijuana” hidden under coffee beans in an SUV he was renting, according to authorities.

Deputies with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office discovered the drugs after pulling over the man on Dec. 2 near the Florida-Alabama border, sheriff’s Captain Stephen Arthur said.

The man told deputies he was driving to Florida from California to sell olive oil and deliver presents to clients he reportedly had in the Miami area, according to Arthur.

“During the stop, a heavy odor of marijuana and a cover agent of fresh coffee was noted,” Arthur said. “Several clothing items, Christmas items and numerous coffee bags were seen, along with four pelican cases and one duffle bag in the cargo area.”

When deputies asked about the cases, the man said he was taking them to someone in Miami for “a friend of a friend in California,” according to authorities.

Because of the marijuana smell, deputies searched the SUV, Arthur said.

Inside the duffel bag and cases, deputies found the drugs in vacuum-sealed bags covered with coffee beans, according to authorities.

“He denied knowledge of the contents of the cases,” Arthur said.

The man said the cases belonged to someone named Brian and he was taking them to Miami for a $2,000 fee, according to authorities.

Sheriff’s officials identified the man as Mario Sanchez, a 45-year-old Long Beach resident.

Authorities couldn’t provide any further details on Sanchez.

“Other than his name, he was not very cooperative,” Arthur said.

Deputies arrested Sanchez on suspicion of drug trafficking, Arthur said. He’s being held at an Alabama jail in lieu of $300,000 bail, jail records show.