85 pounds of fentanyl pills seized, driver arrested in traffic stop on 5 Fwy in OC, authorities say

A sheriff's deputy discovered 85 pounds of fentanyl pills during a traffic stop on the 5 Freeway in Orange County last week, resulting in the arrest of the driver, authorities said.

The suspect was pulled over on May 8 "for violating a California vehicle code," the Orange County Sheriff's Department said in a social media post. The agency did not disclose additional details about the location of the traffic stop or the alleged violation that prompted it.

The deputy, a member of the sheriff's Highway Interdiction Team, approached the car and noticed that the driver "seemed nervous," according to a statement.

"After talking for a few minutes, the driver admitted to having narcotics in the trunk of the car," the statement said.

The deputy searched the BMW's trunk and found about 390,000 "M30" fentanyl pills packed in dozens of clear plastic bags, authorities said. The bags were concealed inside a large black trash bag.

The driver was taken into custody and booked into jail, the Sheriff's Department said. His identity was not released.