The Burleigh County Sheriff's Department broke a record during a traffic stop Tuesday night.

Sheriff Steve Berg said $175,000 in wrapped cash was seized. He said it is the largest amount of money taken as evidence during a traffic stop in Burleigh County Sheriff's Department history.

Deputy Ron Dietz was on his way to Sterling around 7:30 p.m. for routine patrol work when he noticed a vehicle speeding west on Interstate 94. The vehicle was traveling 94 mph, chief deputy Nick Sevart said.

"He decided to take I-94," Berg said. "It was a decision that turned out to be quite fruitful."

Upon stopping the vehicle, Berg said, the deputy detected drug-related activity, and with the help of the North Dakota Highway Patrol's canine unit found marijuana. The cash was then found, wrapped and stored in a suitcase.

Two 23-year-old Minnesota men were arrested. They are in custody with charges pending with the Burleigh CountyState's Attorney's Office.

Berg said there was not a large amount of marijuana and nothing indicated they had been selling it.

"We can only speculate about where the money came from or what the intentions were," Berg said. "But when you have two guys that age with that amount of money wrapped like that, it's suspicious."

He said the cash has been secured as evidence.

"Anytime we can link money to drugs, it's confiscated," Sevart said.

(Reach reporter Katie Brown at 250-8225 or katie.brown@;bismarcktribune.com.)