Cocaine, meth found during routine traffic stop in Chatham-Kent

By Alyssa Leonard

Chatham-Kent police arrested three people after an early morning drug bust just outside of downtown Chatham.

A police officer initiated a traffic stop in the area of Victoria Avenue and Grand Avenue. The officer found baggies of alleged cocaine in the car and the female front passenger was found to be in possession of suspected crystal meth, said police.

“The woman in the back seat attempted to hide her face with the hood of her coat in an effort to avoid being recognized by the officer,” said Public Information Officer Const. Renee Cowell.

After the officer identified the woman, he discovered she was also in breach of a 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew.

“It’s not uncommon to conduct routine traffic stops and find people in possession of illegal substances or failing to comply with court-imposed release conditions,” said Cowell.

All three occupants were arrested and charged with two counts of possession for the purposes of trafficking.

Both the 49-year-old male driver and 45-year-old female front passenger are Leamington residents. Both were released pending a future court date.

The 32-year-old rear passenger from Chatham was additionally charged with failing to comply. She is being held in custody while she waits for a bail hearing.