Officials seize over $2 million worth of drugs in largest meth bust in Utah history

Utah law enforcement agencies seized more than $2 million dollars’ worth of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on northbound Interstate 15, Salt Lake County, Utah, Aug. 16, 2016 | Photo courtesy of Unified Police Department, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — In what police believe to be the largest meth bust in Utah history, a Canada man was arrested Tuesday on Interstate 15 after authorities seized more than $2 million worth of methamphetamine during a traffic stop.

Blake Arcand, of British Columbia, Canada, booking photo posted Aug. 16, 2016 | Photo courtesy of Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News
Blake Arcand, of British Columbia, Canada, booking photo posted Aug. 16, 2016 | Photo courtesy of Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

Taylorsville Street Crimes detectives received information from Homeland Security investigators that a vehicle carrying a large quantity of methamphetamine was travelling through Utah on its way to Canada, according to a statement issued by the Unified Police Department Wednesday.

At approximately 5 p.m. Tuesday, detectives located the vehicle on northbound I-15 near the Salt Lake County-Utah County border and conducted a traffic stop for following too close, officials said.

When questioned, the driver – identified as 56-year-old Blake Arcand – told detectives he had flown from Canada to Los Angeles two days prior and rented a car to drive back to Canada, according to a probable cause statement filed by the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office in support of the arrest.

Arcand told authorities that he lives in British Columbia but was headed to North Dakota to meet his wife, according to the statement.

While speaking with Arcand, detectives requested a narcotics K-9 respond to the scene, police said. When the K-9 was deployed around the vehicle, the drug sniffing dog alerted to the presence of illegal drugs inside the vehicle.

Utah law enforcement agencies seized more than $2 million dollars’ worth of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on northbound Interstate 15, Salt Lake County, Utah, Aug. 16, 2016 | Photo courtesy of Unified Police Department, St. George News
Utah law enforcement agencies seized more than $2 million dollars’ worth of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on northbound Interstate 15, Salt Lake County, Utah, Aug. 16, 2016 | Photo courtesy of Unified Police Department, St. George News

During a subsequent search of the vehicle’s trunk, authorities located a large suitcase with “multiple packages wrapped in cling wrap” that had “large white crystal shrouds” inside, officials said. Tests revealed the suitcase contained 68 pounds of methamphetamine.

“The seizure is the largest ever of methamphetamine in the state of Utah, to our knowledge,” the Unified Police Department said Wednesday. “… The street value of the meth seized is over $2 million.”

Police also located several brand new backpacks and a notepad with the names of several cities in Wyoming and Montana written on it. Investigators said they believe Arcand was going to deliver meth to each of the listed cities, using the backpacks to hand off the drugs.

Arcand was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on state charges. Ultimately, Arcand will be federally charged with drug trafficking crimes, officials said, adding that Arcand has a history of smuggling narcotics into Canada from the U.S.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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21 Comments

  • Bob August 17, 2016 at 7:49 pm

    i’d bet not even .1% of the meth trafficked up I-15 is captured. thanks to a free flowing border with mexico the supply is plentiful

    • ladybugavenger August 17, 2016 at 10:01 pm

      Drugs,guns,and illegals come from Mexico. Whoever thinks keeping the free flowing border is a good idea please reconsider your thinking process. We need a president that has goals to solve the border problem. That candidate is Trump.

    • Real Life August 17, 2016 at 10:09 pm

      It’s insane what our own government has allowed to happen to our Southern border.

      • .... August 18, 2016 at 8:42 am

        Well of course it’s our own government ! Who else’s would it be

    • .... August 17, 2016 at 10:44 pm

      $35 million dollars worth of drugs passed by as the police were busy with this one stop.

  • John August 17, 2016 at 7:58 pm

    Kimberly- The suspect looks like Billy Jack/ Tom Laughlin.

  • indy-vfr August 17, 2016 at 8:05 pm

    If he’s lucky and receives a quick trial and conviction, Obama could commute his sentence before he leaves office.

    • Chris August 18, 2016 at 7:54 am

      🙂

    • Henry August 18, 2016 at 11:10 am

      Might be tough for this suspect, being a white guy trafficking in meth. According to the Clemency Report organization, the focus for many of Obama’s pardons has been “black and crack”. LOL

  • mesaman August 17, 2016 at 8:11 pm

    Hooray for the good guys. They deserve a big pat on the back and a loud THANKS.

  • .... August 17, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    Ok let’s build a wall between Canada and the U.S and Trump will make sure the Canadians pay for it.

    • Real Life August 18, 2016 at 12:18 pm

      Get off the dope.

      • .... August 19, 2016 at 8:10 am

        God bless you my fellow brethren. .Praise the Lord !

  • digger August 18, 2016 at 6:02 am

    Yep, Happy That Load Is Off The Street !! Congrats Utah, Great Intelligence work!

    • .... August 18, 2016 at 8:47 am

      It wasn’t intelligence work there was no NSA or CIA or DEA it was a traffic stop ! and they got lucky. . LOL !

      • Mean Momma August 18, 2016 at 2:14 pm

        “Taylorsville Street Crimes detectives received information from Homeland Security investigators that a vehicle carrying a large quantity of methamphetamine was travelling through Utah on its way to Canada, according to a statement issued by the Unified Police Department Wednesday.”
        Try reading the article before commenting

        • .... August 19, 2016 at 8:12 am

          It was just a traffic stop and they got lucky ! try reading what actually happened

        • Real Life August 19, 2016 at 9:22 am

          He doesn’t read the article. He goes straight to the comments because he is nothing but a pathetic troll. In one comment he says they are just lucky. In another he “praises” them. He has no life.

          • .... August 19, 2016 at 4:24 pm

            And you’re the troll that follows me around because you have no life

  • sagemoon August 18, 2016 at 8:49 am

    Good job law enforcement! Make them dang tweekers regret their addiction when their supply gets interrupted for a moment.

  • knobe August 18, 2016 at 9:48 am

    Two excellent Real shows on NetFlix now , Border Security Canada & one for Australia .
    Between the highly trained dogs and machines that can detect ‘dust’ from previous banned substances encounters ,
    It would be safe to say that had he made it to the Canadian border , they would have nailed his butt .

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