Traffic stop on Hwy. 17 near Mattawa leads to drug charges

Four people, three from Sudbury and one from Wiikwemkoong, face drug trafficking and other charges after a traffic stop in Mattawa on Monday.

Four people are facing drug trafficking charges following a late-night traffic stop on Highway 17 in Mattawa on Monday that led to the seizure of cash and suspected cocaine.

Ontario Provincial Police said the stop occurred at about 11:15 p.m. on Dec. 22 as a result of a Highway Traffic Act infraction.

“During the stop, the driver provided a false name to officers,” OPP said in a news release Tuesday.

“Police determined the driver’s licence was suspended.”

Search yields cash, drugs

The driver was arrested for obstructing a peace officer.

The subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 57 grams of suspected cocaine, a digital scale, four cell phones and about $4,600 in cash.

Four charged

As a result, all occupants of the vehicle were charged. The driver, a 43-year-old from Sudbury, along with his three passengers – a 26-year-old man from Sudbury, a 31-year-old woman from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and a 36-year-old woman from Sudbury – were each charged with trafficking and possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime.

The driver also faces additional charges of obstructing a peace officer, operating an unsafe vehicle and five charges related to driving while suspended or prohibited.

All four accused were held in custody pending a court appearance on Tuesday.