A husband and wife suspected of being drug couriers were arrested after police say they were found with 22 pounds of meth during a traffic stop.

State police say 27-year-old Francisco Parra Perez and his wife, 36-year-old Sandra Cardenas Parra, both of Phoenix, Arizona, were arrested Saturday in Lake Success. According to police, they were caught with wrapped-up blocks of crystal meth that totaled approximately 40,000 doses, worth about $1.3 million on the streets.

State two troopers say the two were spotted speeding – in separate cars – on the Northern State Parkway before they abruptly got off at the Lakeland Road exit.

Police say both vehicles exited the parkway from the left lane in an apparent attempt to evade the troopers, raising suspicion. Troopers say one of the cars didn't signal when changing lanes and the other didn't have adequate taillights.

State police say they stopped the cars and had reasonable suspicion to summon a state police narcotics K-9 to the scene. The dog alerted officers to the presence of narcotics, according to police.

As News 12 has reported, it's not the first time authorities have discovered large amounts of drugs coming from Phoenix. In October, the Nassau district attorney busted a drug ring that had allegedly been smuggling more than 6 pounds of cocaine a month from Phoenix to JFK International Airport.

While there is not a known direct connection between the two cases, state police Maj. David Candelaria says, "We do believe there's a nexus to the state of Arizona. The continuing investigation will ultimately determine if there's a pipeline between Long Island and Arizona."

The couple was arraigned Monday and remanded without bail.