Clearwater RCMP responded to 25 calls for service this past week, including a scam, an impaired driver and a traffic stop that resulted in meth and cash being seized.
RCMP Sgt. G.D.Simpson, detachment commander of the Clearwater detachment, said on Monday, Feb. 5 at about 1:05 a.m. Const. Klassen conducted a traffic stop on Highway 5 in the Blackpool area for a drivers licence check.
Two men from Kamloops were in the vehicle and told police they were heading to a friend’s place in Clearwater but wouldn’t say which friend, said Simpson, noting the passenger is known to be heavily involved in the drug scene.
“The passenger was nervous, shaking, talking fast and had a brown fanny pack at his feet that he kept trying to hide,” noted Simpson. He added that his officer has observed the passenger coming and going from a known drug trafficker’s residence in the area in the past. Both were detained for a drug trafficking investigation.
“A pat down of the passenger located a drug scale and $2,600 in Canadian cash. Both were arrested and searched. The brown fanny pack contained approximately five grams of meth and illegal cigarettes,” said Simpson noting the cigarettes, drugs, drug scale and cash were all seized.
“The passenger later said he isn’t working and that the cash is his disability payment. Const. Klassen advised that if he could provide proof of this to the Clearwater RCMP then he could get his cash back. This matter is still under investigation.”
In another call for assistance Thursday Feb. 1, a local woman called the detachment to report she received a text from someone saying that they were her daughter and that she had dropped and smashed her phone and the SIM card isn’t working.
“The person also said that they had bill payments and needed them paid. The complainant does in fact have a daughter in university and she does have bills that would be due at this time of the month.”
Simpson said the complainant was asked to send money to pattipati48@gmail.com and in the three transfers it totalled $4,200. The person’s name was Daniel Mate, this email had direct deposit so by the time the complainant had talked to her daughter it was too late. They had tried to get in contact with one of the daughter’s friends that works at their banking institution and a file has been opened there as well.”
Simpson said the person also wanted the complainant to start communicating via Whatsapp where it sounded like they were trying to get more money out of her “but by then the complainant knew she had been scammed and told the person she would be reporting them and that they should be ashamed of themselves for taking advantage of people.” A police file was created for insurance purposes.
Clearwater RCMP also got an impaired driver off the highway during a road check at Highway 24 and Highway 5 in Little Fort on Friday night, Feb. 2 at about 9 p.m.
In that case, Simpson said a West Kelowna man was stopped and open liquor was observed in the backseat.
“An Alcohol Screening Device demand was read and the drive blew a .28. A 12 hour suspension was served upon him and his Class 7 driver’s licence was seized,” said Simpson. “Ironically the male had a sober friend with him to drive his vehicle.”
