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Associated Press
Minneapolis

Minnesota cops seize more meth, prescription pills in 2017

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Oxycodone pills for a patient with chronic pain.
State officials said investigators seized more than 214,000 prescription pills in 2017, a 263 percent increase over the previous year.
John Moore | Getty Images 2016

Minnesota authorities saw notable increases in the amount of meth, prescription pills, heroin and marijuana they took off the street last year.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said Thursday that more than 214,000 prescription pills were seized by drug and gang investigators in 2017. That's up from nearly 59,000 pills in 2016. The huge increase includes at least one significant seizure of more than 100,000 pills.

But authorities are also seeing other drugs in greater quantities. They seized about 625 pounds of meth in 2017, up from 488 pounds a year earlier.

Heroin and marijuana also saw increases in 2017, with about 42 pounds of heroin and 4,323 pounds of marijuana seized.

Authorities did see slight decreases in the amounts of cocaine and crack recovered in 2017.