Ontario Provincial Police say they’ve seized drugs and charged four people in three separate incidents that took place in just more than one hour on the evening of Friday the 13th in Orillia, Ont.
At about 7:40 p.m., an officer stopped a vehicle on Laclie Street for a traffic violation.
While speaking with the driver, the officer began a drug investigation and arrested the driver. Police say the vehicle was searched and that numerous illegal cannabis packages were seized.
Pavlo Rymarev, 22, from Etobicoke, Ont., was subsequently charged with a number of cannabis-related offences.
Less than an hour later, someone called police reporting that a man was consuming drugs in a vehicle. Police say the caller had blocked the driver’s vehicle in.
Investigators say the person reported potentially seeing a weapon and that another car had arrived at the scene.
Police subsequently found all the involved vehicles. Three people were arrested, but one was released unconditionally after officers discovered that the third person was not involved.
Jaclynn Arends, 40, from Barrie, Ont., and Tyrell Povell, 30, from Scarborough, Ont., were subsequently charged with cocaine possession and carrying a concealed weapon.
Povell was also charged with drug trafficking and possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
Shortly afterward, police say they received two separate calls concerning an erratic driver on Highway 11.
Police found and stopped the vehicle near Menoke Beach Road, searched the vehicle and arrested the driver.
According to OPP, the driver resisted arrest. The vehicle search resulted in police seizing large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, cannabis, cash, in addition to a knife and ammunition.
Justin Deelarbi, 31, from North York, Ont., was subsequently charged with almost 20 offences, including assaulting a peace office, disarming a peace officer, drug trafficking offences, in addition to other criminal and cannabis offences.
All four accused will appear in court at later dates.