(ALNWICK-HALDIMAND, ON) – On Wednesday December 4, 2013, at approximately 6:40PM, a police officer from the Northumberland Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) stopped a 1999 Chrysler LHS that was travelling westbound on Highway 401 near Vernonville Road. The motor vehicle had a temporary validation permit affixed to it and at that time it was also determined that the female driver was prohibited from operating a motor vehicle. Two male passengers were also found to be under court ordered prohibitions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
The officer arrested the driver while other assisting Northumberland OPP officers attended to the location to assist in the investigation of the vehicle and male occupants.
Assisted by the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau-Drug Enforcement Section (OCEB-DES), an investigative search of all three persons and the vehicle found 27 grams of methamphetamine, 5 litres of gamma-hydroxybutanoic acid (GHB), 60 MDMA pills (ecstasy), seven (7) cell phones and $2,810 in Canadian Currency. The estimated street value of the seized drugs is $14,300.
Lisa Lianne STEELE, (female), age 35 from Trenton, Ontario has been charged with the following offences:
Breach probation – Provincial Offence Act
Driving under suspension – Highway Traffic Act
Possession of Schedule ll drug for purpose of trafficking – 2 counts
Possession of Schedule lll drug for purpose of trafficking – 1 count – Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 – Criminal Code
Darren John HAYWARD, (male), age 36 from Welland, Ontario and Shannon Leslie Eddy SPANGER (male), age 38 from Gooderham, Ontario have both been charged with the following offences:
Possession of Schedule ll drug for purpose of trafficking – 2 counts
Possession of Schedule lll drug for purpose of trafficking – 1 count – Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000 – Criminal Code
Fail to comply with recognizance – Criminal Code
All three accused have been held in custody to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Cobourg, Ontario on Thursday December 5, 2013 for a bail hearing at 1:30 pm.
Here is some information from the National Anti-Drug Strategy as to what GHB is and the harmful effects of GHB will have on a user.
As a street drug, GHB is a man-made chemical that comes from illegal labs.
It is odourless and tasteless, dissolves easily in liquid, it can cause users to feel drowsy and has been used to prevent victims from resisting sexual assault.
GHB use can cause amnesia, so once the effects of it have worn off, users may not remember what happened while under the influence.
Short-term effects of using GHB include loss of inhibition, dizziness, loss of memory/consciousness/coordination, and nausea.
Withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, hallucinations, difficulty sleeping, high blood pressure, tremors and more.
Death has occurred during GHB withdrawal.
For more information regarding GHB and other drugs, please see the attached link.
http://www.nationalantidrugstrategy.gc.ca/prevention/youth-jeunes/facts-faits/ghb.html