SLCPD: Driver arrested after police find 100 fentanyl pills in car’s hidden compartment

File photo: Gephardt Daily/Monico Garza/SLCScanner

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 29, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City Police officials have arrested a 27-year-old man who is accused of illegally hiding and transporting fentanyl pills in his car.

The investigation began at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday with the traffic stop of a car driven by Anival Rockkeet Montoya near 400 S. Redwood Road. A drug detection K-9 Unit alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the car, says a news release issued by the SLCPD.

“The vehicle was searched and approximately 100 blue fentanyl pills were located inside of a hidden compartment in the dash of the vehicle,” Montoya’s affidavit says.

In the vehicle, “a speaker that had been removed, and the screen had been placed back on it. Your affiant knows that the common user uses approximately 10 fentanyl pills a day. This means that the AP was in possession of approximately 10 times the user amount.”

Montoya was arrested and booked for investigation of:

  • Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a second-degree felony
  • Altering vehicle compartment for contraband, a third-degree felony
  • Driving on a suspended or revoked license, a class C misdemeanor

As always, charges will be determined by the County Attorney’s Office.

Montoya’s bail was set at $1,500.

Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid. Even a small amount of fentanyl can result in a drug overdose, the SLCPD statement says.

Anyone with information about drug trafficking in Salt Lake City can call 801-799-3000 or submit an anonymous tip using the City Protect App. In the event of a drug overdose, community members are urged to call 9-1-1 immediately.

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