BELL GARDENS — A traffic stop here April 9 resulted in the discovery of 50 pounds of marijuana hidden inside the tires of a car, police said.

Officers from the Bell Gardens Police Department pulled over a car in the 6500 block of El Cortez Avenue, near Lubec Street, at 9:56 a.m. after an alleged vehicle code violation, Lt. Jeff Travis said. The car was eventually found to be loaded with marijuana.

Officers began to suspect something when, after pulling over, the driver fled on foot and led officers on a foot chase until he was found hiding between two houses, Travis said.

Officers discovered the man had outstanding warrants for his arrest, then questioned him further about his reasons for fleeing.

The man confessed that he had fled because his vehicle contained drugs, Travis said.

Officers examined the vehicle and noticed that all of its tires, including two spare tires, were different models, Travis said. Drug-sniffing dogs searched the vehicle and indicated that drugs were present in a spare tire.

Investigators found five “bricks” of marijuana inside the tire, and five more after searching the other tires, Travis said. They arrested the driver, Jaime Garcia, a 25-year-old Norwalk resident, and booked him on charges of possession and transportation of marijuana for sale.

The car was registered to a post office box in San Ysidro, making it more difficult to find the origins of the marijuana, even though the amount seized suggested the involvement of a larger organization, Travis said.

“My guess is probably this guy was a ‘mule,’” Travis said. “A cartel or the bigger guys, they’re probably covered pretty well.”