A state narcotics-detection dog turned a routine traffic stop into a major bust last Thursday, after alerting officers near 14th Street and Baseline Road in south Phoenix. That alert set off an investigation that ended with two suspects arrested at the vehicle and a third taken into custody when detectives later hit a nearby home with a search warrant. Inside, officers reported finding multiple firearms, several pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of dollars in cash.
State Gang Task Force detectives carried out the traffic stop, and the canine’s alert gave them probable cause to search the vehicle, according to a press release from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Inside, investigators reported locating about one pound of methamphetamine. Two people were arrested at the scene, and detectives obtained a related warrant for a residence tied to the vehicle.
What detectives recovered
Serving that warrant at a home near Central Avenue and Dobbins Road, detectives arrested a third suspect and seized roughly three pounds of methamphetamine, two handguns, a Draco rifle, more than $6,000 in cash and a small amount of cocaine, as reported by KTAR News 92.3 FM. The outlet reports that all of the seized drugs, weapons and cash were transported to an evidence facility for processing before the suspect was booked into Maricopa County Jail.
Charges and next steps
In all, three people were booked into the Maricopa County Jail on felony drug- and weapons-related charges, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said. The agency has not publicly released the suspects’ names and noted that the investigation is still active, with a public affairs contact listed for follow-up questions.
The bust is one of several high-volume drug seizures reported in Arizona this year, including a 138-pound seizure earlier this spring. Community groups and public-safety advocates continue to call for close coordination between state and federal agencies to keep large loads from hitting Valley streets.
