Christmas Day Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Bust

A motor vehicle stop on Christmas Day led to a drug arrest for Collingswood police, as they apprehended a Camden City man who reportedly was traveling with a significant quantity of what they believed was crack-cocaine.

The incident began when police stopped a 2003 Honda traveling along Route 130 and the White Horse Pike. While speaking with the driver, an officer detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana in the vehicle, according to reports.

A search of the vehicle revealed:

• a black plastic bag, partially visible under the seat, that contained 293 individual, heat-sealed bags of what appeared to be crack-cocaine.
• two clear sandwich bags and four clear plastic Ziploc bags, three of which appeared to contain crack-cocaine.
• $456 in cash located in a clear plastic bag that contained an additional 21 heat-sealed bags of what police believed were crack-cocaine.
• two small, plastic jars with clear, plastic lids, which appeared to contain less than 50 grams of what police believed was marijuana.
• two sheets of apple stickers, some of which had been applied to the bags of alleged crack-cocaine, which would seem to indicate some sort of product branding of the reported drugs.

The passenger in the vehicle, Durrell M. Barnes, 24, of Camden City, was detained when these items were discovered; the driver was not.

Barnes was charged with possession of a controlled, dangerous substance (CDS) with intent to distribute, possession of CDS, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police also discovered that he was wanted on a pair of active warrants from Woodlynne ($350) and Camden City ($328).

Barnes was remanded to the Camden County correctional facility in lieu of $65,000 full-cash bail.

All information presented here is according to reports from Collingswood Police. An arrest is not a conviction.