Early Thursday traffic stop in Beatrice yields arrest for drug violations

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 4^th 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.