BELTRAMI COUNTY — A 35-year-old Bemidji man has been arrested after a vehicle search revealed 18 pounds of methamphetamine and three ounces of cocaine wrapped as a "Christmas present" on Dec. 23 in Beltrami County.
According to a release from the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, on Friday, Dec. 23, Beltrami County deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Black Chevrolet SUV on U.S. Highway 71 South.
The vehicle was taken to the Beltrami County Law Enforcement Center, where a search warrant was executed on the vehicle. A cardboard box was found in the cargo area of the vehicle which was wrapped as a Christmas present, the release said.
The box was opened and found to contain approximately 8,138 grams, or 18 pounds, of methamphetamine and three ounces of cocaine.
According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Fusion Center’s 2022 Minnesota Drug Price List, the street value of this seizure is over $650,000.
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Following the search, PBTF agents and assisting law enforcement arrested 35-year-old Kenneth Triplett, of Bemidji, as part of the ongoing investigation.
Law enforcement also conducted a search warrant at Triplett’s residence, where they found two firearms and additional items indicative of controlled substance trafficking, the release said.
The seizure added to a record-setting year for the PBTF, bringing its total methamphetamine seizures to over 25,000 grams, or 55 pounds, which is a 12,500% increase in the last 10 years.
PBTF agents were assisted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, Bemidji Police Department and the Minnesota State Patrol.
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