K-9 unit aids in busting cars transporting 40 pounds of meth, other narcotics on I-15

Utah Highway Patrol displays narcotics it says were discovered with the aid of a K-9 unit on the northbound I-15 in Cedar City Friday, December 6, 2019 | Photo courtesy Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — What started as pulling two vehicles over for equipment violations on Interstate 15 near Cedar City Friday morning became a drug bust with the aid of the sleuthing snout of a K-9 officer.

Utah Highway Patrol displays narcotics it says were discovered with the aid of a K-9 unit on the northbound I-15 in Cedar City Friday, December 6, 2019 | Photo courtesy Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

Utah Highway Patrol officers arrested the drivers of two vehicles after officers discovered stashes of narcotics being transported by both cars traveling north on I-15. The vehicles were stopped at approximately 10:30 a.m. between the West 200 North and Main Street exits.  

Initially, according to UHP Sgt. Ryan Bauer, the two cars were pulled over for equipment violations. But officers on the scene became suspicious when the two drivers’ stories of not knowing each other didn’t gel.

“They were traveling right close to each other to begin with,” Bauer said. “They denied traveling together, but the officers saw things that didn’t add up.”

A K-9 unit at the scene detected narcotics in both vehicles. Officers then found 40 pounds of methamphetamine in the lead car and 2.5 pounds each of heroin and fentanyl pills in the second car.

“One thing they’re good at is helping us with things like this,” Bauer said of the canine members of the UHP.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2019, all rights reserved.

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