SPRING LAKE PARK, Minn. — A drug task force commander says execution of a search warrant Monday night led to the arrest of an Anoka County couple responsible for moving large amounts of methamphetamine through parts of Minnesota.
The CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force, which is headquartered in Willmar, executed that warrant on a home in Spring Lake Park and a storage locker nearby. Commander Ross Ardoff says agents recovered 15.21 pounds of methamphetamine, more than $73,000 in cash and a .44 magnum handgun.
Agents arrested the residents of that home, a 51-year-old man and his 51-year-old wife, and took them into custody. Both are being held in the Anoka County Jail.
Ardoff says the ongoing investigation revealed that the man has been the source of large amounts of meth being trafficked in southwestern Minnesota, and in other parts of the state.
The CEE-VI task force was assisted in the bust by agents from the Anoka-Hennepin Violent Crimes Enforcement Team, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and Spring Lake Park Police.
Ardoff told KARE 11 following a meth bust in southwestern Minnesota last month that the drug remains a scourge in communities across the state. The sergeant estimates that the drug accounts for about 80% of the task force's activities. "Meth is king out here," he says. "We deal with meth-related incidents here every day."
More than any other drug, law enforcement says meth takes over a user's life. They will commit petty crimes like burglary, theft and other property offenses to get money to buy more drugs, having a serious impact on the communities where they live.
There are options for those who are struggling with addiction to methamphetamine, other drugs or alcohol. One is Drug Helpline, which takes more than 10,000 calls per year from Americans struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. Here are options for contacting them.
Drug Helpline – 24/7 drug and alcohol hotline
(844) 289-0879
resources@drughelpline.org
