Two people from the Greater Toronto Area are facing several criminal charges following a vehicle stop for speeding on Friday afternoon.
On Friday, March 19, 2021 at approximately 5:30 p.m., a member of the OPP East Region Highway Safety Division was conducting enforcement on Highway 401 in the Town of Greater Napanee, Ontario when the officer noted a vehicle travelling at an unusually slow speed.
The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and while interacting with the two occupants of the vehicle, the officer observed cannabis in plain view and subsequently conducted a search of the vehicle. During the search of the vehicle, the officer located approximately 13 grams of cocaine and a loaded handgun which had been reported stolen from earlier this year. Both occupants of the vehicle were placed under arrest and transported to the Lennox & Addington (L&A) County detachment.
The vehicle driver, 20 year old Josua Z. MUFUELE of Whitby and the passenger, Benny K. PANDA, 19 years old from Scarborough, are both charged with:
- Possession of a Schedule 1 substance (Cocaine);
- Possession of a Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking;
- Carrying a concealed weapon;
- Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose;
- Being the occupant of a motor vehicle knowing that it contained a firearm;
- Knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm;
- Unauthorized possession of a firearm;
- Possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm;
- Transport a firearm in a careless manner;
- Careless storage of a firearm;
- Possession of a stolen firearm; and
- Possession of stolen property.
Both accused were held in police custody to appear at a virtual bail hearing in Greater Napanee on Monday, March 22, 2021.
