WALKER — Investigators with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies conducted numerous traffic stops and search warrants targeting the seizure of methamphetamine.
Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch reported the action, during the past year, was pursuant to a statewide large-scale ongoing investigation into the sales and use of controlled substances.
The investigation led to four first-degree drug arrests, one second-degree drug arrest, one third-degree drug arrest and eight fifth-degree drug arrests in multiple counties.
To date, more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine and over $11,000 in U.S. currency was seized. The case is ongoing and formal charges are pending for numerous individuals in multiple counties.
Throughout the course of the investigation, a 35-year-old Hackensack man was identified as a leader of several of these cases. The suspect is alleged to have used individuals to transport methamphetamine from the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area to northern Minnesota for the purpose of sale. Formal charges are pending against the man in Cass County, as well as other counties. Burch said these are still active cases, with investigations ongoing.
ADVERTISEMENT
The statewide investigation, led by Cass County, has been a cooperation of numerous agencies including: Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, Leech Lake Tribal Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota State Patrol, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office and Crow Wing County’s Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division.
Burch noted many of these investigations start with an anonymous tip and he encouraged area residents to submit tips and information through Crime Stoppers of Minnesota. Tips can be submitted safely and anonymously through the website at http://crimestoppersmn.org/ or by calling 800-222-8477.
