PAW PAW TOWNSHIP, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — What started out as a routine traffic stop turned out to be the largest fentanyl seizures in Michigan.
It happened on Tuesday, March 7 when troopers with the Michigan State Police Fifth District Hometown Security Team conducted a traffic stop around 9:40 a.m. on eastbound I-94 near mile marker 55 in Paw Paw Township.
The driver, who was stopped for improper lane use and a cracked windshield, gave consent to a vehicle search where officers then found several indicators of criminal activity. During the search, troopers discovered four kilos of fentanyl stuffed in a duffle bag, with each kilo wrapped in an individual heat-sealed bag. The investigation also led to the discovery of two additional kilos of suspected fentanyl at a second location along with $30,000 dollars in cash.
The driver, a 25-year-old California man and lone occupant of the vehicle, was arrested and lodged in the Van Buren County jail on possession with intent to deliver more than 1000 grams of fentanyl charges, with evidence showing that he was transporting or smuggling fentanyl from California to Michigan.
In a news release from MSP, Hometown Security Team members called it the largest seizure of fentanyl on a traffic stop in Michigan, with one kilo alone able to yield about 500,000 pills with a street value of around $1.5 million. Authorities also went onto say, “In total, this seizure will undoubtedly save lives, as it disrupted the distribution of around three-million fentanyl laced pills with a total street value of $9 million.”
From the Michigan State Police Paw Paw Post:
Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing this country today. It is a highly addictive man-made opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose.
For assistance with addiction, please visit Michigan National Rehab at https://nationalrehabhotline.org/michigan/ or call Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Hotline at 1-888-733-7753.
Recovery assistance is also offered through MSP Angel Program at https://www.michigan.gov/msp/divisions/grantscommunityservices/angel.
