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AURORA, Colo. -- Two people have been arrested in a major illegal narcotic investigation that also included the seizure of 12,000 packets of the synthetic drug spice.

Dowinder Boparai and Seble Gebreegziadhair, both from Aurora, were arrested Tuesday.

Investigators said they were led to the duo after seeing a suspected drug engage between the two, said police spokesman Frank Fania.

Police arrested Gebreegziadhair, 28, and police recovered several hundred packets of suspected spice, Fania said. Boparai, 54, was also arrested.

Fania said police executed three search warrants and found storage facilities with spice.

Spice is designed to mimic marijuana. "It is a psychoactive designer drug derived from natural herbs and sprayed with synthetic chemicals. It can be up to 800 times stronger than marijuana. It is an extremely dangerous drug, and an overdose with this drug is the official cause of death of at least one 15-year-old male in Aurora last summer," Fania said.

Both suspects are being held on a $50,000 bond each. They are facing several drug-related charges, Fania said.

Almost $500,000 of spice seized in Aurora. pic.twitter.com/HIOjCzurUU — justinjoseph (@justinjoseph) March 21, 2014

Loophole allows illegal drug ‘Spice’ to be sold in Colorado

In September FOX31 Denver’s Investigative Team discovered a loophole in Colorado law which allows the illegal drug spice to be sold here legally.

A state-wide investigation continues into the source of deadly synthetic designer drugs called spice being sold in the Denver area. Health experts blame the drugs, which are sold under the names Black Mamba, Crazy Monkey and a host of other names, on three deaths and more than 150 people being treated in Denver area emergency rooms in the last three weeks.

A 2011 Colorado law is supposed to make spice illegal in the state, but we found state statute does not stop stores from selling it nor kids from smoking it with devastating consequences.

The U.S. Justice Department is currently prosecuting a Spice bust in Fort Collins where law enforcement arrested five people for making Spice.

U.S. Attorney John Walsh said, “The dangers of these drugs can sneak up on people. There are, unfortunately, an enormous number of instances were kids have taken these drugs and have been very seriously injured.”

The Colorado Attorney General is also has also filed a lawsuit against a Longmont store for selling Spice. State officials confiscated about 1,000 containers of Spice and the owner was arrested, said AG spokeswoman Carolyn Tyler.