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WEST VALLEY CITY — The Utah County Major Crimes Task Force recently made a big drug bust in West Valley City as part of an ongoing investigation into a trafficking organization.
The investigation began in September when an investigator received a tip about a man who "transports at least 50 pounds of methamphetamine from California to Utah once every two weeks," according to a search warrant affidavit filed in 4th District Court. The informant had personally purchased several pounds of methamphetamine from the man, according to police.
Three months later, a second confidential informant told investigators that the same man was transporting "between 60-80 pounds every two weeks" of methamphetamine from California to Utah, according to the warrant.
From there, detectives began collecting information on several people in Utah who were believed to be distributing methamphetamine to lower level dealers.
"I noticed he frequented several residents throughout the day. At least two of these locations he visited belong to individuals who I know have been involved in distributing large quantities of methamphetamine," a member of the task force wrote in the affidavit of one alleged drug distributor.
On March, after weeks of conducting surveillance, task force agents served a search warrant at 4960 W. Hellas Drive and seized 27 pounds of methamphetamine, 2 pounds of heroin, "buy/owe sheets," a gun and ammunition, according to a search warrant.
If sold by the pound, 27 pounds of meth has an estimated street value of $102,600, according to the drug task force. And once it is broken down to gram dosages, such an amount can fetch more than $612,000 on the street.
A 21-year-old man was arrested for investigation of meth possession, heroin distribution, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, and possession of a vehicle with a hidden compartment, according to the task force.
