A traffic stop in Waterville last week turned up nearly 2 pounds of fentanyl hidden in a box of crackers.
Michael A. Bridges, 49, and Elizabeth Cole, 31, were charged with aggravated trafficking, a Class A crime, according to the Maine State Police. Bridges also was charged with violating conditions of release.
The pair were driving north on Interstate 95 about 1:15 a.m. on April 18 when a state trooper stopped them near mile marker 124, the state police said Thursday.
Suspecting criminal activity, troopers searched their vehicle, turning up 880 grams — about 1.94 pounds — of fentanyl allegedly packaged for distribution stashed in a box of crackers.
Bridges and Cole were taken to the Kennebec County Jail in Augusta.
Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is up to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just 3 milligrams can cause a fatal overdose. There are 880,000 milligrams in 1.94 pounds.
