The Middlesboro Police Department has made three recent unrelated arrests that have resulted in individuals being lodged in the Bell County Detention Center on drug trafficking charges.

On Sunday April 13, Officer Preston Saylor responded to a prowler complaint and located a suspected prowler, later identified as Charles Baker. Officer Saylor determined that Baker had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

During the investigation, Baker was found to be in possession of a large quantity of suspected methamphetamine. According to the citation, the methamphetamine was divided into four individually packaged bags, with a total weight of approximately 50 grams. Baker was also found to be in possession of two individually wrapped packages of suspected marijuana and $766 in cash, which was seized as evidence.

Baker was lodged in the Bell County Detention Center and charged with trafficking in methamphetamine and marijuana.

In a separate incident, Drug Investigator Ryan Collins responded to a report of an individual experiencing a suspected overdose on Tuesday, March 18. The victim was believed to have overdosed on fentanyl that had been recently purchased. Narcan was administered to the victim, who was then transported to the hospital for treatment and later released.

Following an investigation into the source of the fentanyl, Detective Collins identified Mikel Maxwell as the individual who supplied the drugs to the victim. Maxwell was found to be in possession of suspected fentanyl packaged similarly to the fentanyl found on the overdose victim.

He was charged with trafficking in fentanyl and first-degree wanton endangerment.

The most recent incident occurred on Thursday, April 17. A Middlesboro man was arrested for trafficking cocaine after a large quantity of suspected cocaine was found on his person during a traffic stop.

Lt./Det. Barry Cowan conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of Family Dollar involving a silver Mercedes operated by 21-year-old Atavius Flanary.

During the stop, Lt. Cowan located a tied-off plastic bag containing a white, rocky substance believed to be cocaine.

Flanary was arrested and charged with trafficking in a controlled substance (cocaine) greater than four grams, in addition to multiple traffic violations. He was lodged in the Bell County Detention Center.