During a North Carolina traffic stop, officers discovered 10,000 fentanyl pills inside a Virgin Mary statue, police said.
A North Carolina traffic stop resulted in the discovery of 10,000 fentanyl pills stuffed inside a statue of the Virgin Mary, police said.
A K-9 alerted officers to the presence of narcotics Monday after Gaston County Police Department officers pulled over a 2010 Buick for several traffic violations, authorities said.
Another search by the police dog and his human partner found the highly dangerous opioid doses inside the statue, police said.
"The 10,000 pills weighed approximately 1 kilogram and have a street value of roughly $330,000," the department said in a statement on its Facebook page.
Angel Alvarez De Leon, the car's driver, and passenger Afredo Diaz, both of Dallas, were arrested and charged with several counts of opioid trafficking, police said.
Both are being held at the Gaston County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail each, police said.
"The efforts of these officers (have) prevented the distribution of this dangerous drug, saving countless lives and preventing widespread harm to our community," the Facebook statement said.
The suspects do not appear to have entered pleas, according to online court records.
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