By Shawn Hogendorf, Staff Writer

Southwest Metro Drug Task Force agents seized 130 pounds of marijuana this spring from a home in the 13900 block of Shoreside Circle with help from two federal agencies and the Shakopee and Savage police departments.

The wholesale value of the drugs that were seized is about $455,000, but it has a street value of $1 million, according to Mark Williams, commander of the Southwest Metro Drug Task Force.

“This is Canadian, British Columbia grown high-quality bud (marijuana) that is part of an operation largely run by Asian gangs,” Williams said. “It is grown in Canada, smuggled in (to the United States) and then distributed here. We were able to take this off the streets, significantly reducing the availability of marijuana in our service area.”

In relation to the drug bust, Nao Vu Nguyen, 33, of Savage was charged on April 8 with first-degree possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and second-degree possession of a controlled substance by the Scott County Attorney’s Office.

According to the criminal complaint:

On April 6, the Southwest Metro Drug Task Force was contacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and advised that a shipment of 100 pounds of marijuana was coming from the Detroit, Mich. area and would be arriving at the Shakopee Wal-Mart store, according to the criminal complaint.

A federal ICE officer informed a drug task force agent that a confidential informant was en route to the Twin Cities from Detroit with four large black “hockey-type” duffel bags in his car. The plan was for the informant to drive the car to Wal-Mart and then leave the car in the store’s parking lot with the keys in the ignition, according to court records. Then the informant was to enter the store and the recipient of the drugs would take the car, remove the drugs and then return the car to the Wal-Mart parking lot.

The exchange went down as planned so agents executed a search warrant April 7.

When Nguyen was served with a search warrant, he “dropped his head and said he knew why law enforcement was there,” the complaint stated. Nguyen also told agents he was just “doing stuff to make extra money.”

When asked what was in the home, Nguyen told agents “more than 100 pounds” of “marijuana,” the complaint stated. Nguyen told agents he “was just holding it for someone to pick up later.” He also told agents he was the only person responsible for drugs being inside the home.

Agents searched the home and found the four duffel bags in the lower-level basement, Williams said. Agents also found a cardboard box with more than 30 pounds of marijuana.

“I’m not sure if this was in the works for some time or a deal that agencies in the Detroit area became aware of that day,” Williams said. “But when we got word, we put together all our resources.”

Sometimes drug task force investigations can last months when dealing with multi-agency operations and others last a day, Williams said. In a situation like this, drug task force agents often work with federal agencies such as ICE, the FBI and the Violent Offenders Task Force because these operations are often larger than the resources available in Scott County, he said.

Williams cited that the latest issue of High Times magazine that put a value of this type of marijuana selling at about $460 an ounce in Minnesota and about $3,500 a pound at wholesale.

“It’s just like anything,” Williams said. “When you buy quantity like this it is cheaper and then the (wholesale) price doubles when it hits the street.

“It just goes to show you never know what neighborhood this type of thing goes down in,” Williams said. “We go from a trailer to a $1 million house and we find this stuff everywhere.”

A contested omnibus hearing is set for Nguyen in Scott County District Court on Aug. 11.

If convicted, Nguyen faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and/or a $1 million fine for the first-degree possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell charge. He also faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and up to a $500,000 fine for the second-degree possession of a controlled substance charge.

 Shawn Hogendorf can be reached at shogendorf@swpub.com.