Big Lake man busted with 50 pounds of meth

A criminal complaint filed in Freeborn County District Court states that Anderson was transporting the drugs from the Phoenix, Arizona area to Minnesota when he was pulled over. The Minnesota State Patrol made the traffic stop after receiving information from drug task force personnel identifying Anderson’s vehicle as being suspected of the large drug transport.

The vehicle was located by a Minnesota state trooper two miles north of the Minnesota/Iowa state line. While following Anderson’s vehicle, the trooper observed him following a minivan dangerously close with less than one car length between the vehicles, court records state.

After being pulled over, Anderson was allegedly nervous, talking fast and his hands were shaking.

He told the trooper he was coming from Des Moines where he had gone to buy sneakers for his business, court records state.

While speaking with Anderson, the trooper observed a strong, overwhelming odor of a cleaning solvent mixed with gasoline coming from inside the car.

The trooper asked Anderson if he was carrying a large amount of U.S. currency or illegal drugs.

Anderson allegedly denied being in possession of drugs and money. He also declined to let the trooper search his vehicle, court records state.

The trooper then deployed his K-9 partner, which exhibited increased respiration and a change in posture before alerting on the vehicle between the seat and pillar with a focus on the rear passenger side door, court records state. The trooper also saw a small, newly purchased tool kit and numerous small washers lying throughout the vehicle. A fuel pump was still in the box and a puddle of suspected oil was coating the bottom of the spare tire well.

The vehicle was brought to a MnDOT shop where it was discovered that each door panel concealed a large amount of a white crystalline substance in heat-sealed packages, court records state. The substance field-tested positive for meth, records state.

Anderson was booked into the Freeborn County Jail. He was later released on a non-cash bond.