PHOENIX (AP) — Authorities say nearly 490 pounds of marijuana has been seized and five people arrested after a bust at a stash house in Phoenix.
The seizure and arrests Wednesday were part of an investigation conducted by the Pinal County Sheriff Office’s anti-smuggling unit.
Sheriff’s detectives and U.S. Border Patrol agents investigated a drug trafficking organization that has been smuggling marijuana from Mexico, moving it to various homes in Phoenix and then distributing the drugs across the country.
The group used scouts that occupied mountain tops to help backpackers navigate through the desert to avoid law enforcement.
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The backpackers would arrive at predetermined locations along the Interstate 8 and Interstate 10 corridor.
Over the course of the 14-month investigation, authorities say they confiscated more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana.