DULUTH — More than a pound of fentanyl was seized and three people were arrested following a Tuesday morning traffic stop in Ellsburg Township along Hwy. 53 in northeastern Minnesota.

The 35-year-old driver, an Iron Range-based business owner, was part of an ongoing investigation by the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force. After the stop, officials obtained a search warrant and found fentanyl hidden in the company vehicle and evidence of illegal marijuana use, according to an incident report from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office. The group was reportedly traveling from Chicago back to the Iron Range.

All three were arrested and taken to St. Louis County jail. The driver is facing charges of first-degree sales of a controlled substance and bringing the drugs across state lines. The other two, a 24-year-old man and 21-year-old woman, are being held pending charges for controlled substance sales and possession.