photo by: Lawrence Police Department

Patrol Service Dog Shadow wearing a ballistic vest donated by Friends of the K9 Vest while exiting a patrol vehicle on July 26, 2022, at the Lawrence Police Department Headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive.

Lawrence police — with the help of a canine officer — found more than 33 pounds of methamphetamine and more than one pound of cocaine in an unattended piece of luggage at a local transportation hub, the department announced Thursday morning.

A police officer and his canine partner Shadow — a dual purpose patrol dog who is trained to detect drugs — were conducting a “routine security sweep of a transportation facility.” Shadow stopped at a piece of luggage and indicated the presence of drugs.

photo by: Lawrence Police Department

Shadow, a Lawrence Police Department canine officer, is shown with drugs that the dog and LPD officer seized in an Aug. 7, 2024 search

Upon inspection, officers found 33.08 pounds of meth and 1.26 pounds of cocaine in the luggage. Officers did not find anybody who claimed ownership of the luggage, “but investigators are working diligently to identify the owner,” the police department said in a news release.

LPD did not release additional details of where the drug-filled piece of luggage was found, such as at a bus or train stop.

The department will forward the seized substances to the Kansas Bureau of Investigations laboratory to determine if fentanyl is contained in the drugs, the department said.

“This proactive investigation underscores the commitment of the Lawrence Police Department to combating illegal drug trafficking in our community. K9 Shadow and his handler have unquestionably made Lawrence safer with this seizure,” Lawrence Police Chief Rich Lockhart said in a release.

photo by: Lawrence Police Department

Drugs seized from an Aug. 7, 2024 search that found more than 30 pounds of meth and more than a pound of cocaine are pictured.