Deputies in Pinal County seized over 500 pounds of methamphetamine during two separate traffic stops last week, resulting in several arrests and what officials call a major disruption to regional drug-smuggling activities.
According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, the first stop occurred on November 6 along State Route 79 in Florence. Deputies stopped a truck for a traffic violation and performed a consent search. Inside the truck bed, police discovered a professionally installed secret compartment carrying around 400 pounds of methamphetamine.
Deputies said the 21-year-old Phoenix driver was arrested on suspicion of possessing and transporting dangerous drugs.
Two days later, on November 8, deputies pulled over a similar truck on Interstate 10 for another traffic violation. A PCSO K-9 detected the presence of narcotics, leading detectives to a second secret compartment placed on the truck bed. This container reportedly contained 161 pounds of methamphetamine.
In the second incident, police arrested a 21-year-old Phoenix driver and a 19-year-old passenger on suspicion of possessing and transporting dangerous substances.
Sheriff Ross Teeple stated that the back-to-back seizures indicate a shift in smuggling practices. “Human smuggling has decreased, while drug smuggling is up. We will continue to fight the cartels as they bring these hazardous drugs into Pinal County and across the country,” Teeple declared in the press release.
The overall street value of the meth loads surpasses $500,000, according to the PCSO. The cases continue under investigation.
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