Cottonwood Police: K-9 alerted police officer to fentanyl pills inside car; 2 arrested
(Photo Courtesy: Cottonwood Police Department)
COTTONWOOD, Ariz. - Police officials in Cottonwood say an alert by a police K-9 during a traffic stop led a police officer to a drug bust involving fentanyl.
The bust happened on August 25, but it was announced via a statement on August 26. In the statement, Cottonwood Police officials say officers were conduction an operation on I-17 near Camp Verde when they stopped a car for an expired registration.
"The sergeant conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle using K-9 Kratos, who alerted to the presence of narcotics," read a portion of the statement. "A search of the vehicle yielded approximately 5 pounds of fentanyl in pill form."
In addition, Cottonwood Police officials say a handgun, several gun magazines and numerous bullets were found inside the car as well. As for the fentanyl, there was an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 pills found, with a street value of about $600,000.
Carlos Juan Quintero Parra (left) and Monica R. Ramirez (right) (Photo Courtesy: Cottonwood Police Department)
Two people, according to Cottonwood Police officials, were arrested as a result of the bust. The driver of the car, identified as 21-year-old Carlos Julian Quintero Parra, and the passenger, identified as 21-year-old Monica R. Ramirez, are both from Phoenix, and both are accused of committing a number of drug-related offenses. Both are held on a $750,000 paper bond.