Hamilton police seize firearm, ammo, drugs in downtown traffic stops

Two overnight police traffic stops in downtown Hamilton this week led to the seizure of a firearm, several rounds of ammunition and hundreds of grams of illicit drugs.

Hamilton police said in a release the stops - one on the evening of Dec. 29, the other in the early morning of Dec. 30 - were precipitated by a pair of drivers allegedly violating the Highway Traffic Act.

Patrol officers searched the vehicles after noticing a strong odour of cannabis emanating from each, police said.

Inside, they found a pistol, ammunition, scales, $5,700 in cash and a large amount of narcotics including:

• A combined 534 codeine and hydromorphone pills;

• 309 grams of gamma-hydroxybutyrate acid (GHB);

• 284 grams of cannabis;

• 253 grams of cocaine;

• 66 grams of MDMA;

• 21.1 grams of fentanyl;

• 7.9 grams of crack cocaine.

Const. Krista-Lee Ernst declined to disclose the road rules allegedly violated prior to the stops, citing them as evidence before the courts. She said the drivers had no relation to each other.

Two Hamilton men are facing charges. They include several firearm-related charges as well as possession of cocaine, cannabis and fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking.

Sebastian Bron is a reporter at The Spectator. sbron@thespec.com