Troopers making fewer drug seizures

WASILLA — A report issued by the Alaska State Troopers last week showed a downturn in the amount of most kinds of illegal drugs being seized across Alaska over the past two years.

In all, troopers seized 357 gallons of alcohol, 6.40 pounds of cocaine, 6.67 pounds of heroin, and 119.28 pounds of marijuana in 2015. That’s down from 394 gallons of alcohol, 14.58 grams of cocaine, 55.12 pounds of heroin, and 295.79 pounds of marijuana in the same three-year period.

Drug seizures at all levels in the state in 2015 had a street value of $20.7 million, according to the report.

Methamphetamine proved to be the lone exception among hard drugs. Meth seizures increased from 11.53 pounds in 2013 to 33.73 pounds in 2015.

The report provided more evidence of growing heroin use in the state and country.

While heroin seizure amounts declined between 2013 and 2015, arrests for drug charges increased during the same period, from 151 in 2013 to 233 in 2015. Evidence of increasing heroin use also made its way into hospitals, where heroin poisoning rates among inpatient discharges doubled between 2008 and 2012 and heroin associated deaths tripled between 2008 and 2013, according to statistics cited in the report.

Trends in the Pacific Region, which includes Alaska, suggest methamphetamine is primarily coming into the country via Mexico, after reformulations had somewhat diminished the epidemic over the years, according to the report.

“In July 2006, pseudoephedrine regulations were adopted by the state of Alaska,” the report reads in part. “This armed law enforcement professionals with a valuable tool to combat meth labs in the state.”

The impact of legalized marijuana also can’t yet be measured, according to the report, though marijuana enforcement is no longer a priority for the Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU), which issues the annual report.

“Frequently, investigators respond when state law and federal law are in conflict, such as transport on federally regulated commercial carriers,” the report reads in part. “It is yet to be determined how the commercial manufacturing of marijuana and associated products will impact the SDEU.”

The report comes as Mat-Su Borough Assembly members voted Thursday to provide $100,000 funding for reinstating local officers’ participation in the Mat-Su Valley Drug Enforcement Unit. Investigator Shayne Calt with the unit testified that in order for drug addicts to buy a million dollars worth of drugs, they would need to commit approximately $5 million worth of property crime.

The DEU, which primarily focuses on interstate drug trafficking enforcement, was reduced in size about two years ago, when state funding dried up for the local officers to participate. Troopers could provide additional resources beyond the salary, Calt said.

“We cover all the other things,” he said. “We cover the training, we cover the building, we cover everything. We just need the bodies.”

Contact reporter Brian O’Connort at 352-2270, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.