Not wearing a seatbelt while allegedly transporting more than $98,000 in illegal drugs was probably a bad choice for a M’Chigeeng driver on May 6.
At around 11 a.m. that day, Manitoulin Ontario Provincial Police report officers observed a driver not wearing their seatbelt, and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle.
Further investigation and a search of the vehicle turned up a cache of illegal drugs, OPP said.
“Additionally, police seized an amount of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of $51,500, an amount of suspected fentanyl with an estimated street value of $46,100, an amount of suspect hydromorphone with an estimated street value of $400, an amount of suspected dilaudid with an estimated street value of $300, a small amount of suspected oxycodone, approximately $4,200 in Canadian currency, and a knife,” the news release states.
As a result, the driver, a 40-year-old from M'Chigeeng First Nation, is charged with:
- Failure to comply with release order
- Operation while impaired
- Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
- Possession of a Schedule I substance (opioid) - five counts
- Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine)
- Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (opioid)
- Driver fail to properly wear seat belt
- Possess more than one licence
- Driving motor vehicle with liquor readily available
A passenger, a 26-year-old from M'Chigeeng First Nation, is charged with:
- Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
- Possession of a Schedule I substance (opioid) - five counts
- Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine)
- Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (opioid)
The second passenger, a 34-year-old from M'Chigeeng First Nation, is charged with:
- Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
- Possession of a Schedule I substance (opioid) - five counts
- Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine)
- Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (opioid)
- Passenger fail to properly wear seatbelt
The three accused were to appear in bail court in Espanola on May 7.
