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Seatbelt Check Leads to Drug Charges in Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield Police’s current “Click it or Ticket” campaign yielded a drug arrest Thursday evening. Ansar Khawaja, 21, of Stratford was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell after being stopped for a seatbelt violation, police said.

Fairfield Police began a two-week “Click It or Ticket: Day or Night” campaign Monday to coincide with Memorial Day weekend. Until June 3, Fairfield Police will hold a zero-tolerance policy if they spot drivers without their seatbelts buckled. They have also planned several checkpoints around town for the period.

Police said officers were holding a checkpoint on Villa Avenue when Khawaja was seen driving without a seatbelt. When the officer on duty approached the car, he smelled marijuana inside, according to the police report. A K-9 officer did a scent test on the car and alerted officers to a backpack inside.

In the backpack was a plastic jar containing 2.3 ounces of marijuana, a collection of plastic bags used for distribution and rolling papers, police said. The backpack also had an electronic scale, a glass pipe and cash, according to the police report.

Khawaja was charged with possession of marijuana and intent to sell, both felonies, possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, and an additional felony charge for possession within 1,500 feet of a school because the stop took place near a day care center, police said. He was also issued an infraction for driving without a seatbelt. Khawaja was released on a $5,000 bond and is due in court June 6.

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