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SANDY — Police say they foiled an expensive drug operation when they recovered 68 pounds of meth while acting on a tip from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Federal authorities enlisted the help of the Unified Police Department on Tuesday, saying they had intelligence indicating a large load of meth was being transported through Utah. Around 5 p.m., a Taylorsville detective spotted the vehicle traveling through Sandy on I-15, Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell said.
Police stopped and arrested Blake Arcand, 56, and also discovered 68 pounds of meth in the car, Bell said. Arcand was allegedly transporting the meth from California to Canada.
Unified police detectives believe a written list of cities found in his car may indicate that Arcand planned to drop off some of the drugs in Wyoming.
Bell called the discovery "just an unbelievable amount of methamphetamine to be in our state."
"Really, I think a lot of officers in their whole career will never see a tenth of that," he said.
According to Bell, it's likely the meth originated from Mexican drug cartels. He said he was grateful Unified police could play a part in thwarting cross-country distribution.
"We couldn't be prouder. It's a great effort by everybody involved," Bell said.
Arcand, who is a Canadian citizen, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of drug possession with the intent to distribute.
Contributing: Nicole Vowell, KSL TV
