What started as a routine day of traffic enforcement on the Iron Range ended with state troopers hauling in a sizable meth bust and taking two drivers to jail on suspicion of driving while impaired.
According to state officials, the two separate stops happened on Jan. 18 in Gilbert and Hibbing as part of ordinary traffic enforcement. In both cases, the drivers were arrested on suspicion of DWI.
Gilbert and Hibbing Stops Lead to Big Meth Find
In a Facebook post, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said troopers pulled over vehicles in Gilbert and Hibbing for traffic violations on Jan. 18. A search of the vehicles reportedly turned up more than one pound of suspected methamphetamine, and both drivers were arrested on suspicion of DWI.
State Officials Tout Proactive Traffic Work
The agency used the seizure to underscore its strategy of leaning on traffic enforcement to uncover more serious crimes. "Proactive traffic enforcement is one of our most effective ways to keep dangerous drugs out of our communities," the post stated, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
What ‘More Than a Pound’ Means Under Minnesota Law
Under Minnesota law, drug penalties scale up quickly with weight. The state’s controlled-substance laws set threshold amounts that can bump a case into first- or second-degree felony territory, as laid out in Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 152.
The Iron Range has seen large hauls before. St. Louis County deputies reported seizing about three pounds of meth during a December traffic stop and follow-up search, according to a county press release.
Part of a Wider Crackdown on Impaired Driving
Officials say these latest stops also align with broader efforts to tackle impaired driving and related public safety threats on Minnesota roads. During a recent holiday enforcement campaign, law enforcement agencies logged 2,170 DWI arrests, as reported by KNSI, highlighting how traffic enforcement is being used as a tool against both impairment and drug trafficking.
Investigations Still in the Works
Authorities have not released the names of the drivers or detailed potential charges, saying the investigations are ongoing. Suspected narcotics are typically sent to the state crime lab for testing, and prosecutors wait on those lab results before filing final charges. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s lab work and support role for local agencies have been described in previous reporting by MPR News.
