K9 Dex nabs suspects accused of having 35,000 pills in Coconino County
K9 Dex. Photo courtesy of the Coconino County Sheriff's Office
COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. - K9 Dex helped the Coconino County Sheriff's Office catch two people accused of having seven pounds of fentanyl in northern Arizona.
What we know:
On May 19 around 8 p.m., a K9 unit conducted a traffic stop on a car reportedly involved in a traffic violation on I-17 southbound near Newman Park Road in the Munds Park community.
"During the traffic stop, K9 Dex was deployed to sniff the vehicle. Dex alerted to the odor of an illegal substance. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 7.84 lbs of suspected fentanyl (approximately 35,000 pills) with a street value of $120,000.00," the sheriff's office said in a May 20 news release.
The driver, Jose Nidome-Chavez, 30, and the passenger, Carmen Ramirez-Acosta, 28, were arrested. They were booked into jail on suspicion of transportation of narcotic drugs for sale.
The case remains under investigation.
What we don't know:
The sheriff's office didn't say what traffic violation prompted deputies to pull the suspects over.