Agents Seize Approximately 24 Pounds of Meth During Stop on Highway 35 in Ft Payne

According to information in a news release issued Tuesday by DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden – on Thursday (September 5th) of last week several members of the Sheriff’s Office Narcotics & Interdiction team assisted with the seizure of 24 pounds of methamphetamine on Highway 35 in Ft Payne. Investigators with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit completed a six month investigation into the trafficking of large amounts of “Ice” into the North Alabama area.

Units with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Special Agents also assisted while the DeKalb County Interdiction team conducted a traffic stop on 50 year old Anthony Guthrie of Scottboro as he was leaving the Ft Payne area.

A DeKalb County K-9 unit conducted a search outside the vehicle and the K-9 alerted on the rear compartment of the vehicle.

Agents then located a cooler containing approximately 24 pounds of “Ice” (pure crystallized methamphetamine).  Investigators also arrested David Jose Topete, 49 of Tijuana, Mexico at a nearby hotel in Ft Payne in connection to the narcotics.  Both Guthrie and Topete were charged with Trafficking in Methamphetamine and placed in the DeKalb County Detention Center on a $1,000,000.00 bond.  Federal agents were notified and other drug charges are pending.

The investigation continues and more arrests are possible.

DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said of the operation: “We were thrilled to be a part of this operation and take such a large amount of Methamphetamine off the streets. 24 pounds of this poison is enough to get a lot of people hooked and destroy a lot of lives.”  “The value of this amount could reach up to $150,000 and we have reason to believe it was to be distributed in our area. I’d like to thank our agents, the ALEA Task Force, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for their commitment to stopping these dangerous drugs from reaching our communities.

 

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