Minnesota police say that someone recently provided them with information about a particular vehicle in the area that was supposedly being used for illegal activity. Police claim that they had reason to believe that two men were using the car to transport illegal drugs to Moorhead. After police stopped the vehicle, both men were arrested.
Police say they found illegal drugs in the car
Patrol officers made a traffic stop when they saw the two men traveling in the vehicle they had heard about. At some point during the traffic stop, the police officers searched the car. They claim to have found small bags containing hundreds of pills, which they believe to be counterfeit drugs containing fentanyl. The two men were taken into custody and are now facing charges for drug crimes.
Claiming and proving are two separate issues
Police often make arrests on suspicion of drug crimes only to later have their suspicions proved incorrect. For instance, a police officer might confiscate a baggie containing pills and submit it to a lab for testing, thinking it is filled with illegal drugs. A lab test might confirm that the pills in question are not illegal drugs, meaning the substance seized cannot be used as evidence in court to prove that a drug crime took place. Prosecutors must be able to confirm (through lab testing) that a substance claimed to be an illegal drug is, in fact, an illegal drug.
Those facing drug charges are guaranteed an opportunity to present a defense
As in all cases involving criminal charges, the men who were recently arrested in Minnesota are guaranteed an opportunity to refute the charges against them in court. A person facing arrest may request legal representation before undergoing interrogation. The presence of an experienced defense attorney is often a key factor toward achieving the best possible outcome in a criminal proceeding.
