HENRY COUNTY, Ind. – A man was arrested after five pounds of fentanyl was found by a law enforcement task force Monday during a traffic stop in Henry County.
A team member of Pro-Active Criminal Enforcement (PACE), a task force consisting of officers from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and the Richmond Police department found many indicators of criminal activity during a traffic stop on I-70.
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Officer David Glover with the Richmond Police Department then called in Deputy Nick Ernstes of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office for support.
Ernstes brought a narcotics detection K9 to the scene and drugs were discovered.
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In the trunk’s vehicle was 2.2 pounds of fentanyl and an additional 2.2 pounds were discovered under the back seat. A methamphetamine pipe was also found under the driver’s side of the vehicle.
Driver, Gustavo Romero, 41, of Wildomar, Calif. was arrested and interviewed by DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Indianapolis Office of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
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Romero is currently being held in federal custody in Indianapolis.
He told officers he thought he was transporting heroin and was on his way to Dayton, Ohio.
Authorities say fentanyl is becoming a major issue across Indiana.
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"We're finding information, we're find this fentanyl is coming out of illicit, clandestine labs possibly being brought up here and we're also finding that Indianapolis seems to be the central hub for the distribution, the rendezvous point locally here in Central Indiana and that's a big concern for us," said Capt. Jeff Rasche, Hancock County Sheriff's Department.
The DEA says fentanyl is roughly 50 times stronger than heroin and often cuts into the drug to give a bigger high.
