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Officer Jeffrey Welsh stopped a Nissan Altima whose driver failed to signal a turn on Belmont Avenue shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday, Capt. George Guzman said.
The driver also failed to produce proof of registration or insurance, he said.
Passenger David Rodriguez, 25, of Paterson was asked to step out of the sedan after giving Welsh a fake name, the captain said.
The officer also spotted a large bottle of the prescription cough suppressant promethazine and codeine, commonly known as "purple drank," with the label scratched off, he said.
Rodriguez, who also wasn't wearing a seatbelt, was taken into custody for the drugs, Guzman said.
A search of his bookbag turned up five more bottles of the drug and a .380-caliber Taurus TCP handgun loaded with five rounds, he said.
Rodriguez was also carrying $2,393 in suspected drug proceeds, which was seized, the captain said.
He was sent to the Passaic County Jail to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson on drug and weapons charges and hindering his arrest.
The driver, meanwhile, received a summons for failing to signal a turn.
Assisting were Sgt. Frank Conca, Police Officer Semir Celoski and Special Police Officer Euclides Cardona.
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