North Bay police stop vehicle with licence plate covered by snow, charge driver

An Ontario Provincial Police vehicle with its lights flashing accompanied by the OPP crest and the words North Bay. (Facebook/Ontario Provincial Police)

Drug trafficking and various other charges were laid against a Toronto driver in North Bay on Monday after he was pulled over for having a snow-covered licence plate.

The 25-year-old man was driving in the 800 block of Lakeshore Drive when he was stopped, North Bay police said in a news release Wednesday.

“A strong odour of cannabis was detected in the motor vehicle and police observed burnt cannabis cigarettes easily accessible to the driver,” police said.

“A query by police revealed that the accused was in violation of his release order, at which point he was arrested and charged.”

Officers seized 156 Percocet prescription opioid pills worth around $1,000 and more than $1,200 in cash.

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In addition to being charged with driving with cannabis readily available and having a dirty licence plate, as a novice G1 driver, he was also charged with driving at an unlawful hour, not being accompanied by a qualified driver and failing to surrender his licence.

Being on probation at the time of the incident, he was charged with failing to comply with a release order and two counts of failing to comply with a probation order.

The accused was held in custody pending a bail hearing.

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