Burnt-out headlight leads Winnipeg police to meth, cocaine and guns during traffic stop

Four people — including a woman police say was hiding small bags of meth under her clothes — are charged with multiple weapons and drug offences after a Winnipeg police traffic stop.

The four were arrested after officers stopped a car in downtown Winnipeg on Wednesday for a burnt-out headlight.

The car was pulled over around 12:45 a.m. on Main Street, between Bannatyne and McDermot avenues. Police saw the driver immediately switch places with a passenger.

So officers asked the three men, aged 29, 37 and 42, and the 23-year-old woman to get out of the car.

Police say the 37-year-old, who was driving before switching spots, showed signs of drug intoxication and was arrested. He was also found to have several items in his pockets that police seized, including a needle containing meth, four shotgun shells, two cell phones and $200 in cash.

The other three were arrested and searched as well, with police saying they found another meth needle, a cellphone, a loaded homemade gun, three .22-calibre cartridges and a 12-gauge shotgun shell.

A search of the car turned up a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, several .22-calibre cartridges and 12-gauge shotgun shells, small baggies, a digital scale, 18 hydromorphone pills, and one .25-gram rock of crack cocaine.

During another search at the police headquarters, police say the woman was found with two bags of meth hidden under her clothes.

All four have been detained at the Winnipeg Remand Centre.