Detectives seized roughly 200 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on Interstate 5 in Salem, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said.
The sheriff's office Dangerous Drugs Team pulled over a vehicle on Thursday, Oct. 15, with assistance from the FBI, Oregon State Police and the Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement (LINE) Team, according to KOIN. The agency announced the seizure on Monday, Oct. 19.
A drug-detection K-9 alerted deputies to the possible presence of narcotics inside the vehicle, the sheriff's office said in a press release. The search turned up approximately 200 pounds of meth and $1,521 in cash.
The stop happened on I-5 as it passes through Salem, placing the seizure squarely in Marion County.
Two people were arrested and face federal charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to KGW. One of them also had an outstanding warrant for delivery of a controlled substance involving heroin. Both were booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.
No suspect names have been released.
"Operations like this demonstrate the value of working together across jurisdictions to disrupt drug trafficking and hold those responsible accountable," said Sgt. Chad Phifer of the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Unit.
Phifer credited cooperation among multiple law enforcement agencies with helping keep drugs off the street, Your Oregon News reported.
The sheriff's office participates in the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, a federal initiative that coordinates drug enforcement across 16 counties. Marion County has its own HIDTA-supported initiative through Oregon State Police Domestic Highway Enforcement.
Anyone with information about drug trafficking activity can contact the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office or local law enforcement.
