Utah Highway Patrol has been incredibly busy the first two weeks of February, seizing more than 110 pounds of methamphetamine in that brief window. The massive seizure so far this month is the result of 20 busts that officials describe as "significant." Those busts-including two that took place while UHP held a joint press conference with the Utah Department of Public Safety to discuss the recent seizures-also snagged 20 pounds of marijuana and five pounds of heroin.
However, the massive seizure is troubling to some, as it indicates a rise in the use of methamphetamine in the state. Some theorize the increase in use stems from the price of the drug dropping to its lowest point in 10 years, meaning that traffickers would be more willing to run the drug under lighter security since the financial impact would be lesser if their product was lost. According to investigators the majority of the meth coming into the state is being transported from Mexico and Southern California. They also believe that most of the meth is not intended for Utah markets, but is being shipped elsewhere and is simply passing through the state en route to its final destination.