(LITTLE CURRENT, ON) – Two people are facing charges after a traffic stop resulted in police seizing suspected drugs.
On Saturday, April 5, 2025, at approximately 1:30 p.m., the Manitoulin Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were alerted to an unattached licence plate by the Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) system. Police conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle on Highway 551, and further investigation resulted in both the driver and passenger being arrested.
Additionally, police seized amounts of suspected cocaine, crack cocaine and hydromorphone pills with an estimated street value of $21,000.
As a result, the driver, Neil ENSE, 35-years-old from M’Chigeeng First Nation, was charged with:
- Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine) – two counts
- Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (opioid) – two counts
The passenger, Kristan PANAMICK, 34-years-old from M’Chigeeng First Nation, was charged with:
- Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (cocaine) – two counts
- Possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (opioid) – two counts
Both accused are scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Gore Bay on May 13, 2025.
All OPP patrol vehicles are equipped with ALPR technology. ALPR has proven to be an effective way to increase the efficiency of discovering and conducting investigations related to both traffic and criminal offences. It does so by detecting licence plates that are linked to occurrences such as wanted or missing persons, stolen vehicles, stolen and unattached plates, suspended/prohibited drivers, vehicles associated with AMBER Alerts and other serious occurrences.