A Chatham man has been charged with several offences after an observant police officer saw that something was off with a vehicle and stopped it.
Chatham-Kent police said the officer noticed a vehicle on Pinehurst Line on Saturday morning that had licence plates that were not registered to the vehicle. The officer pulled over the vehicle on Harwich Road and discovered the man was prohibited from driving.
Suspected crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated $26,280, a digital scale, and a large amount of Canadian cash were found in the vehicle during a search.
The 31-year-old suspect of Longwoods Road in Chatham was charged with driving while prohibited, possession of illegal drugs for the purposes of trafficking, breach of probation, and failing to comply with his release conditions from the court.
The use of methamphetamine is prevalent in Chatham-Kent and police are encouraging members of the public to report suspicious activity.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said methamphetamine has emerged as one of the most significant commodities within organized crime from production, to importation and distribution. The OPP added the production of one kilogram of methamphetamine produces about six kilograms of toxic waste and the waste is usually disposed of through illegal dumping resulting in environmental contamination and health hazards for the public.
"Canadian law enforcement and its critical partners, such as Crime Stoppers, will undertake to aggressively pursue, disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations involved in the proliferation of illegal commodities, including methamphetamine, into our communities," said OPP Deputy Commissioner Chuck Cox, provincial commander of Investigations and Organized Crime.