'Minions' duct tape used to disguise shotgun as 'a toy'

COVINGTON, La., Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Authorities in Louisiana said a traffic stop led to the discovery of heroin, meth and a shotgun disguised as "a toy" using Minions-printed duct tape.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that members of the St. Tammany Parish Narcotics Task Force conducting a drug trafficking probe stopped a vehicle on Highway 190 in Covington.

The deputies searched the vehicle and found heroin, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a large amount of cash.

The sheriff's office said the vehicle also contained a 20-gauge sawed-off shotgun that had been covered in duct tape bearing the images of cartoon Minions from the Despicable Me franchise.

"Authorities believe this was used to make the gun look like a toy in an attempt to throw off law enforcement," the sheriff's office said.

The occupants of the vehicle, Monroe Meyers, 28, and Winter Flowers, 33, were arrested on multiple charges.

Investigators said both suspects had outstanding warrants from Tangipahoa Parish and were known to authorities from a November 2015 incident where Flowers allegedly shot Meyers with an AR-15 rifle in Livingston Parish.