Photo courtesy of the Rio Grande Police Department

Milla, the Rio Grande Police Department’s K-9 officer, sits among the cash seized during Saturday’s drug bust in the Village of Rio Grande. Milla, a female German Shepherd, was purchased last year thanks to the generous support of the community who donated the approximately $8,000 needed for her purchase.

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RIO GRANDE — A positive indication on a suspicious vehicle by the Rio Grande Police Department’s K-9 unit led to the seizure of over $2,000 in cash and marijuana during a weekend traffic stop in the village.

According to the police department, a total of $2,330 and 17 individually wrapped baggies containing marijuana were seized from a car being driven by a Jackson County man at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The driver of the vehicle, Christopher G. Seymour, 20, was questioned by police on Saturday night and was later released on a summons to appear in Rio Grande for mayor’s court in relation to drug paraphernalia charges.

Further charges are pending consultation with the Gallia County Prosecutor’s Office, the police department reported.

According to the police report, at approximately 10:30 p.m. Saturday, a Rio Grande Police Patrolman stopped a black, four-door car traveling eastbound on Ohio 588 in Rio Grande Village on a possible registration violation as the vehicle’s license plate number was coming back to a white-colored car.

The car, a Buick that had been spray-painted black that same day, also had its vehicle identification number (VIN) painted over, according to the report.

University of Rio Grande Campus Police Officer also arrived on scene to assist as the Rio Grande Police Officer, who was notified by dispatch that Seymour had a history of drug possession and drug paraphernalia charges, asked the driver to step out of the car and then asked for consent to search the vehicle.

The driver initially told the officer he could search the vehicle, however, before the search could begin, Seymour advised the officer that he did not want him to search his car.

The officer then requested that the Rio Grande Police Department K-9 unit respond to the scene.

The K-9 later positively indicated at the front of the car.

A backpack located in the right passenger floor board was pulled from the vehicle and searched.

Inside the bag, the officers located a digital scale, a GPS, a white envelope containing what was later counted as $2,330 in cash, and an iPad case with 17 individually wrapped packages of marijuana marked with the number “30” on the bags.

Also found in the backpack was drug paraphernalia, including a pipe and rolling papers.

An inventory was taken of the vehicle and the items were seized, along with two cell phones and an iPad.

The vehicle was towed from the scene and the suspect was taken in for questioning and was later released and ordered to return for court.