Five people have been arrested on drug-related charges in the past three weeks in Bertie County.

Detective Sgt. Kenny Gilliam of the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office reported three separate incidents had led to the arrest of four men and one woman.

“We have stopped three vehicles recently and received permission to search which has led to several arrests,” Gilliam said.

The most recent arrest came Sunday when a vehicle was stopped in Windsor.

Gilliam said a vehicle driven by Christie Ray, 38, of Windsor was stopped and permission was received to search the vehicle.

After the search, officers found what was described as a “small amount” of crack and powder cocaine.

Ray was charged with possession of cocaine and maintaining a vehicle to keep a controlled substance. She was placed in the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail under a $6,000 secured bond.

A passenger in the vehicle, 46-year-old Henry Perry of Windsor was also charged. Perry was placed under arrest on charges of possession of cocaine. He was placed under a $5,000 secured bond.

Last week, Det. Gilliam received a tip while in Powellsville on an unrelated call. He received information that two men were selling drugs in the area.

“We initiated a stop on the suspect vehicle and received permission to search it,” Det. Sgt. Gilliam said. “Upon searching, we found 38 grams of marijuana and some drug paraphernalia.”

That discovery led to the arrest of Marvin Wilson, 33, and Kenshawn Perry, 39, both of Powellsville.

Wilson was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and was also served with an outstanding warrant for assault with a deadly weapon.

He was placed in the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail under a $20,000 cash bond.

Perry was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was placed under a $20,000 cash bond as well.

The first arrest occurred in Lewiston on May 23.

Det. Sgt. Gilliam spotted a suspicious vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. He received permission to search the vehicle and found a small amount of cocaine.

Chris Worthington, 29, of Vanceboro was charged in the incident. He was charged with possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was placed under a $1,500 secured bond.

“Since I took office, I have promised the citizens of Bertie County that we will continue to work diligently on the drug problem,” Bertie County Sheriff John Holley said. “These arrests are just a small part of that continuing effort.

“I would continue to ask the citizens to call if they suspect drug activity in their area,” he added. “Many of the arrests we have made have come with the help of the citizens and we want to keep that line of communication open.”