Police investigating a string of burglaries at UND ended up uncovering a drug pipeline that sent methamphetamine from the Twin Cities to North Dakota.
Charges are expected against two men suspected of stealing thousands of dollars worth of electronics from UND, exchanging them for meth in Minneapolis and transporting them back to North Dakota, said Sgt. Danny Weigel, of the UND Police Department.
"We believe the computers were being brought down to Minneapolis in exchange for illegal narcotics," he said.
Weigel declined to name the suspects since neither has been arrested and charges have not yet been filed. Weigel said he expects county prosecutors will bring charges before week's end.
Both suspects live in the Grand Forks area, he said, and neither suspect has any affiliation with the university. Weigel said it is unclear whether the suspects were selling the drugs they brought back from Minneapolis.
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Police happened upon the drug pipeline a couple of months after two intruders broke into UND's Merrifield Hall on Thanksgiving and stole multiple Apple desktop computers.
Police traced the computers and other electronics stolen from UND to a Minneapolis resident, who was selling the electronics on eBay, Weigel said.
Minneapolis police carried out a search warrant Jan. 20 on university police's behalf and found electronics belonging to UND, said John Elder, spokesman for the Minneapolis Police Department.
Elder would not comment on the drug investigation since it is an ongoing investigation.
About $15,000 worth of electronics has since been returned to UND, Weigel said.
