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Record $10 million in meth recovered along I-70 in Putnam County
CLOVERDALE — Six discarded duffel bags dumped along an Interstate 70 ramp has led to the largest seizure of methamphetamine ever in Indiana, authorities said Thursday.
A record recovery of $10 million in methamphetamine was reported in Putnam County recently after a trucker using the eastbound ramp at the State Road 243 exit of I-70 spotted the six blue and green duffels just off the road’s edge.
The truck driver called 911 and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office responded, immediately contacting federal authorities after the amount of the drug -- reported as 225 pounds of meth -- was observed, Putnam County Sheriff Scott Stockton told the Banner Graphic.
The amount found on Sept. 15 is a record seizure of methamphetamine for Indiana, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Chicago office said.
“The scary thought is that that’s probably a minuscule amount of what’s going down the road here,” Sheriff Stockton added.
The discovery was reportedly made near mile-marker 37, four miles west of Cloverdale.
Besides who left those bags along the roadway, DEA investigators are hoping to find out if they planned to come back for them, just ditched them for good, or whether someone else may have been supposed to pick them up.
“We’re talking $10 million worth of methamphetamine,” DEA spokesman Mike Gannon said in a press release. “Somebody somewhere cannot be happy about that being left on the side of the road. Our job will be to find out who sent it and hold them accountable.”
Because of the large amount and purity of the crystal meth, the DEA believes the drugs undoubtedly came from one of two Mexican drugs cartels.
“They’re manufacturing methamphetamine at clandestine laboratories in Mexico,” Gannon added. “Then they’re producing very high-quality methamphetamine to people in the state of Indiana and throughout the country.”
Agreeing with Sheriff Stockton, Gannon said meth is the not only the state’s biggest illegal drug issue but the biggest problem passing through Indiana on the interstates.
“I think the important thing for us -- which makes this such a huge win -- was just getting that off the street,” Gannon said. “It really has no socioeconomic value of who are going to use drugs and why people are using drugs. It can affect everybody and every citizen.”
The DEA has reportedly seized almost a half-ton of meth in Indiana over the last fiscal year.
Anyone with information about the 225 pounds of methamphetamine is urged to call the DEA Evansville Resident Office at 812-465-6457.