Austin Police Seize $1.1M Worth Of K2 Drug In Traffic Stop

AUSTIN, TX — Austin police recently seized $1.1 million worth of the dangerous synthetic drug commonly known as K2 after a traffic stop in the south-central part of the city, officials said Wednesday.

Police said the bust occurred on Sunday after they received a tip about the illegal cargo. Four people were arrested after police found the large amount of the synthetic cannabinoid inside the vehicle. Prior to the bust, a tipster informed police the suspects had headed to Houston to pick up a large amount of the drug to bring back to Austin for distribution, officials said.

The informant's details came via the Crime Stoppers Tip Line, officials noted. The call prompted an investigation coordinated among the Austin Police Department's Organized Crime Division Narcotics Conspiracy Team, the tactical division squad of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the Houston Police Department, according to a press advisory.

After stopping the vehicle, a probably cause search of the vehicle yielded 74.32 kilos of K2 in several trash bags. That amount represents 222,960 individual doses of K2 with a street value of $1,114,800, police said.

"This is a great example of the cooperation between the citizens and the department," APD officials said in a statement, adding that federal prosecutors have agreed to try the case against the four suspects.

Police urged anyone with information on the case or similar ones to call Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS or text "Tip 103" + details to CRIMES. Those with information also can submit tips by downloading APD’s mobile app, Austin PD, for free on iPhone and Android.

K2 has become something of an epidemic in Austin, its consumption sometimes taxing first responders to the limit. Last summer, some 70 people were transported to area hospitals for treatment after overdosing on the drug. Police have noted K2 is especially nefarious given drug dealers' offering of the cheap largely to homeless people.

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