MISSOULA – The Montana Highway Patrol’s drug interdiction teams have seized 56 pounds (25 kilograms) of methamphetamines in their first six months of operation as part of a state effort to crack down on drug trafficking.
MHP criminal interdiction and canine commander Lt. Jim Sanders told KGVO-AM on Monday that the six interdiction teams are so successful they’re having trouble finding enough places to store the evidence.
The patrol seized 33.5 pounds (15 kilograms) of meth in the three years between 2014 and 2016 and 68 pounds (31 kilograms) last year — with most of that work being done by the interdiction teams.
Sanderson says the K-9 officers are key to sniffing out compartments built to hide drugs. He says officers hope that as they seize drugs the price will go up, decreasing the demand.