A man and a woman were arrested last week when a DPS Canine Officer discovered a duffle bag containing methamphetamine in their vehicle.
At about 2:22 p.m. a DPS Canine officer stopped a Nissan passenger vehicle, traveling westbound on Interstate 10 in the Marana area, for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop the officer became suspicious of criminal activity. Both the driver and passenger gave the officer permission to search the vehicle and its contents. During the search, the officer found a blue duffle bag on the rear floor board.
Upon opening the duffle bag the officer found several packages containing methamphetamine that, when combined, weighed about 28 pounds. That much meth has a street value of $224,000.
The driver of the vehicle, Marco Antonio Esquivel, 43, from Phoenix and passenger, Gilda Samoyoa, 49, from Glendale were arrested and booked in the Pima County Jail. Both were charged with Possession of a Dangerous Drug for Sale and Transportation of a Dangerous Drug for Sale.
Using information obtained by the canine officer, officers from the DPS Highway Interdiction Team (HIT) obtained a search warrant for a residence in the Phoenix area. Officers found another 5 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of $40,000 in the residence.