PORTLAND — A Lewiston man denied charges Wednesday that he was trafficking what a judge called an “absolutely astounding amount” of methamphetamine.

Muktar Abshir “Mo” Aden, 25, appeared in U.S. District Court where he pleaded not guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, both felonies and each punishable by 10 years to life in prison.

He also pleaded not guilty to use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a felony punishable by five years to life in prison.

Aden was arrested last month at his apartment at 210 Blake St. in Lewiston by federal investigators.

A federal prosecutor told the judge that the amount of methamphetamine recovered by investigators between Aden’s apartment and a storage unit he was seen using totaled 24 pounds.

In denying Aden’s release pending indictment, U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Frink Wolf had called the volume of drugs “absolutely astounding,” citing it as a safety risk to the community.

Investigators, including those from Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, also recovered from the searches 456 grams of crack cocaine, 200 grams of fentanyl, three cellphones, two handguns, including one that was stolen, and $45,000 in cash.

Prosecutors said Aden had been pouring water on a backpack that contained methamphetamine when agents entered his apartment while executing a search warrant.

All of the drugs seized had tested presumptively positive in the field, but hadn’t been lab tested nor had the purity of the drugs been determined.

Aden has a “lengthy” criminal history dating back to when he was 10 years old, including multiple drug convictions, according to prosecutors.