The Portland Police Bureau has carried out what they're calling one of the largest single-day drug busts in the city's history. According to a press release by PPB, a significant cache of illegal drugs was seized on August 8, 2024, as part of a highway interdiction operation on Interstate 5 near Portland.

The haul included 90 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 pounds of fentanyl, and 3.8 pounds of heroin, collectively estimated to hold a street value of around two million dollars. While the active investigation precludes sharing case specifics at this time, PPB has released photos of the confiscated substances, alongside Portland Police Drug Detection K9 Stitch, who's also featured in the bust imagery. Despite the lack of detail, it's clear that the PPB sees this as a significant blow to the trafficking of illegal drugs meant to quickly distribute to Portland communities.

This interdiction underscores the intensity of enforcement along the Interstate 5 corridor, which the Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit/HIDTA Interdiction Taskforce identifies as a critical artery for the inflow of illegal narcotics into Portland. The PPB is steadfast in their commitment to curb this flow, expressing the imperative of ongoing enforcement in these areas.

The multi-agency HIDTA Interdiction Team (HIT), consisting of representatives from various law enforcement sectors including Homeland Security Investigations, Oregon State Police, and the Internal Revenue Service, among others, spearheaded the operation. The Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program supports the HIT, aiming to carefully dismantle drug trafficking organizations that operate on local, multi-state, and international levels.