COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The State Highway Patrol has reported it made more drug arrests in Ohio in 2018 from the previous year.

A patrol statement says troopers made 16,956 drug arrests last year for about a 2 percent increase compared with 16,653 in 2017.

The patrol says the quantities of drugs seized were up substantially from 2017. The patrol reports a 197 percent increase in methamphetamine and a 151 percent increase in fentanyl, while there was a 94 percent increase in cocaine and a 78 percent increase in heroin.

Lt. Carlos Smith, commander of the patrol’s Elyria post, says highways are often used in the transportation of illegal drugs. He says troopers keep many drugs and other illegal items out of Ohio communities by looking for criminal indicators during traffic stops.