Highway patrolling took a serendipitous turn on Saturday when Trooper Matthew Demos of Troop A Community Action Team pulled over a Chevy Cavalier for speeding on Route 495 in Methuen. The routine traffic stop morphed into a drug bust as the driver and passenger of the vehicle were found to be trafficking fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid.
Upon approaching the vehicle, Trooper Demos observed that the interior seemed to be torn apart, and the ignition appeared to have been tampered with. The visibly rattled driver, while being questioned, evaded giving straight answers. Sergeant Edward Troy arrived to back Trooper Demos, and together, they gathered enough suspicion to conduct a further investigation, according to a report on MSP News.
Sergeant Troy, while speaking with the passenger, James Welcome, 40, of Andover, N.H., spotted a knife clipped to Welcome's jeans. Subsequently, Welcome pulled out two bags from his pockets containing what looked like crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl. Welcome was handcuffed and secured, and a K9 unit was called to the scene. The operator herself produced several items covered with powdery residue, adding to the cache of contraband.
At the Newbury Barracks, where Welcome was taken, he was found to be in possession of approximately 11 grams of fentanyl, 10 grams of meth, and an array of prescription pills. Facing a litany of charges, including Possession to Distribute Crystal Methamphetamine; Trafficking in Fentanyl; Carrying a Dangerous Weapon; and Possession of Class E Substance, Welcome was arraigned in Haverhill District Court, as recorded in MSP News.
The crackdown on this speeding vehicle likely averted the distribution of significant quantities of narcotics. The driver, who was issued a summons to Haverhill district court for possession of a Class A substance and speeding, has not been named.
