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Nile crocodile found in massive stash of fentanyl pills, guns and cash, Arizona cops say

Detectives found a young Nile crocodile among a massive stash of drugs, cash and guns in a man’s home, Arizona police say.
Detectives found a young Nile crocodile among a massive stash of drugs, cash and guns in a man’s home, Arizona police say. Phoenix Police Department

The huge stash of guns, drugs and cash inside a home caught the attention of Arizona police, they say, but something even more unusual was lurking.

A young Nile crocodile was living in the home, police say. Nile crocodiles are native to Africa and are the largest crocodiles on the continent.

Detectives executed a search warrant at the Phoenix home in late April, according to a news release from the Phoenix Police Department.

They found 15 firearms, 855 grams of cocaine, 193,000 fentanyl pills, $65,929 in cash and the crocodile in the home, police say.

Officers arrested Adrian Valladares on May 11 “on counts related to drug possession for sale, firearms violations, and money laundering”, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

The crocodile was turned over to the Phoenix Herpetology Society, police say.

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This story was originally published May 29, 2022 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Nile crocodile found in massive stash of fentanyl pills, guns and cash, Arizona cops say."

ML
Madeleine List
mcclatchy-newsroom
Madeleine List is a McClatchy National Real-Time reporter. She has reported for the Cape Cod Times and the Providence Journal.
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