The Alaska State Troopers Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit conducted an operation that lasted multiple days targetting drugs and alcohol bound for Utqiagvik and the North Slope Borough this month and seized illegal substances with an estimated street value of over $220,000 according to their report. Seized items included 259 grams of methamphetamine, 48 grams of fentanyl powder, 600 counterfeit fentanyl pills, and 100 bottles of illicit alcohol.

On Friday, December 8th, 28-year-old Utqiagvik resident Christina Frantz was contacted at the Anchorage airport by drug investigators and found to have concealed 12 bottles of distilled spirits, 1.8 grams of methamphetamine, and 100 counterfeit M30 pills in her checked luggage. On Wednesday, Frantz was arrested and remanded to the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center on charges of MICS 2, MICS 5, and Alcohol Beverages Transported By Common Carrier.

On Saturday the 9th, investigators at the Anchorage airport observed suspicious behavior by 37-year-old Utqiagvik resident Salomi Nageak and so detained her and found she had 48 grams of methamphetamine and 500 counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills concealed on her person. She was remanded to the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center on charges of MICS 2, MICS 3, and VCOR.

Then, on Monday the 11th, drug investigators at the Ted Stevens Airport observed another suspicious passenger, 41-year-old Jessika Hopson bound for Utqiagvik. Contact was made and Hopson was found to have concealed on her person and in her baggage 210 grams of methamphetamine and eight bottles of alcohol. She was also remanded to the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center. She was charged with MICS3, MICS4, and Alcohol Beverages Transported By Common Carrier.

AST says that “Additional investigations are active and ongoing.”

  drugs, frantz, hopson, m30, metham[hetamine, nageak, northslope, Utqiagvik