Several people were arrested for drug violations after being pulled over by narcotics detectives with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department who were conducting routine patrols.

On December 2, narcotics detectives conducting a patrol in an unmarked vehicle observed another vehicle pull to the intersection of Harry Sones Road and John Amaker Road before the driver exited and went to the passenger side.

Sheriff David Allison said that since the vehicle was blocking traffic, the detectives turned on the patrol vehicle’s blue lights and approached the driver to see what was going on.

As the detectives approached the driver, later identified as 37-year-old Brandin Hilton of 89 Lawson Taylor Road, they noticed him drop something to the ground.

Hilton was detained while the contents of the item dropped to the ground was identified. Allison said that once the item was determined to contain a white powdery substance suspected to be heroin, Hilton was arrested for possession of a controlled substance.

The passenger of the vehicle, identified as Kaylee Burns, 29, of 81 McCarty Island Rd., was determined to be in possession of syringes typically used in the use of substances such as heroin, leading to her arrest for possession of paraphernalia, Allison said.

In a separate case that took place on Dec. 8, a patrol deputy conducting a stop on a vehicle traveling along Highway 43 South noticed the smell of raw marijuana coming from inside the vehicle while speaking to the driver.

Allison said a narcotics detective was notified and when that detective arrived, investigative techniques and a search of the vehicle located about a quarter of a pound of marijuana inside the vehicle along with a set of digital scales. Allison said the driver of the vehicle, Jamal Thompson, 31, of 2500 Highway 43 S., was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.