MERRIMAC — State, Merrimac and Haverhill police arrested four people over the weekend on charges of cocaine trafficking from New York to Maine.
Sunday night shortly before 9:30 p.m. state police received an alert from Maine's Drug Enforcement Unit to be on the lookout for a 1991 black Ford Explorer that could be passing through the Newbury area.
"It was believed one or more occupants may have a substantial amount of cocaine on them," Trooper Eric Benson said. "Troopers in the Newbury barracks waited (on Interstate 495) during the time window they suspected the car would be passing through."
Trooper Edward Johnson spotted the vehicle and noticed it had a broken right tail light. According to police, Johnson pulled out behind the vehicle, confirmed it was the same vehicle Maine police were looking for and observed the vehicle commit several marked lanes violation.
"After he passed Broad Street, Johnson activated his lights and stopped the vehicle," Benson said, noting Merrimac and Haverhill police responded to the scene to provide backup. "During the ensuing roadside investigation, they found Clinton Jennings to be in possession of a large bag filled with white powdery substance believed to be cocaine. Located on Courtney Nye's person was a small bag of white powdery substance believed to be cocaine, as well as a black cylinder containing another bag of white powdery substance in it."
Jennings, 25, 1851 Schrieffeline Place, Bronx, N.Y., and Nye, 17, 98 Essex St., Bangor, Maine, were arrested along with the driver of the vehicle, Nicolas Norris, 28, 15 Wiseman St., Newport, Maine, and passenger Daniel Borders, 23, 295 Wing Road, Herman, Maine.
Norris was charged with cocaine trafficking, lights violation and marked lanes violation. Jennings and Nye were charged with cocaine possession as well as cocaine trafficking. Borders was charged with cocaine trafficking.
It was unclear what dollar value the cocaine had or the exact weight yesterday.
All were held on $100,000 cash bail and were arraigned yesterday in Newburyport District Court.
According to Massachusetts General Laws, drug trafficking offenses, a felony, are a step above drug possession with intent to distribute and are classified as such based on how much of a substance is in the person's possession.
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