BEATRICE – What began as an officer noticing a vehicle with no front license plate, ended with the arrest of the driver on drug and driving charges.

The arrest was made early Thursday morning in Beatrice at South 4th and Granville Avenue.  An officer contacted the driver, who told the officer he did not have a license.

A records check indicated that 56-year-old Robert L. Watson’s license had been suspended as of late August.  The vehicle he was driving belonged to another man.  Police suspected the vehicle belonged to a man they associated in the past with illicit drug use.

Police brought a department K-9 to the scene and the dog indicated the presence of suspected drugs during a sniff around the outside of the Chevrolet Blazer. 

During a search, police located an eye glass case in the front seat containing a packaged syringe….and discovered a self-seal bag in the driver’s jacket containing a white crystalline substance.

An officer also found a blue torch in a pocket of Watson’s jacket.  Officers arrested Watson on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving under suspension.  The white substance field-tested as suspected methamphetamine.