Officer then made contact with the driver and advising her for the reason for the traffic stop. During the stop the Officer identified the driver and the passenger of the vehicle. The Officer noticed that the driver was overly nervous and there was a strong odor of perfume coming from out of the vehicle, with the Officers experience and training knew that excessive perfume/cologne odor are used to cover up illegal drugs odors.
Officer then asked the driver for consent to search the vehicle for anything illegal in the vehicle but the search was denied by the passenger and driver.
Officer then call for assistance from the Bates County Sheriff’s Office, for a K-9 unit to do a free air sniffs around the outside of the vehicle. The K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal drugs from inside the vehicle. This gave probable cause to search the vehicle.
A search of the vehicle revealed a plastic pipe that contained drug paraphernalia that field tested positive for methamphetamine, a lunch box that contained a green substance that tested positive as marijuana weighing 1lb and 1.55oz., a plastic bag containing 1oz of illegal mushrooms, several small zip lock baggies containing a crystalline substance tested positive for methamphetamine and a back pack containing components and equipment to manufacture methamphetamines.
Both driver and passenger were taken into custody and transported to the Bates County Jail. The driver identified as Jessica Irwin was placed on a 24hr investigation hold for possession of a control substance and placed on a $25,000 Bond
The passenger identified as Austin C Smith was placed on a 24hr investigation hold for possession of a controlled substance and placed on a $25,000 Bond
Smith was currently out on bond for a similar traffic case that took place in Rich Hill on 11/23/2017 by the Bates County Sheriff’s Office and CNET Drug Task Force.
This Press Release is Courtesy of Rich Hill Police Chief Jack Bearce
Copyright Mid America Live News
Disclaimer: Arrest records are public information. Any indication of an arrest does not mean the individual identified has been convicted of a crime. All persons arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
