This story will be updated.
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Presque Isle police arrested three individuals on drug trafficking charges on Dec. 29, after police found a variety of hard drugs and firearms during a traffic stop.
With the help of a newly trained police dog, authorities found various drugs in the vehicle, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, as well as four handguns. The individuals, whose names authorities have not yet released, face a variety of drug trafficking and drug possession charges. The case remains under investigation.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Presque Isle police said Sgt. Tyler Cote conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle at approximately 10:16 p.m on Dec. 29. At some point in the stop, Cote deployed his narcotics detection dog, Cali, an 18-month-old lab that recently received narcotics training.
Presque Isle Police K-9 Cali sits in front of drugs she helped detect in a traffic stop on Dec. 29. (Courtesy of Presque Isle Police Department)
Authorities found hard drugs within the vehicle, seizing undisclosed amounts of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and crack cocaine. It was unknown if the four handguns seized were registered legally.
Presque Isle police arrested three individuals for a variety of drug charges, including aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs and felony possession of scheduled drugs. Police said that the investigation is still underway, and more charges may be pending.
The Presque Isle area, along with the rest of Aroostook County, currently face drug addiction rates higher than the statewide average. With officer vacancies, the department has recently experienced issues responding to the drug epidemic.
On Facebook, many residents of Presque Isle and surrounding communities praised the department for making the arrest and helping to keep hard drugs off the streets.
