Indiana police officers can arrest people if they find drugs physically in their possession. They can also arrest those who seem to have a role in the production or distribution of drugs. Sometimes, investigators spend time and effort trying to establish a connection between an individual and the drug trade.
For example, police officers may try to monitor the traffic that comes in and out of a residential property. They may also try to find proof of misconduct by going through someone’s trash. Seemingly benign items that individuals throw away can lead to concerns that they may play a role in drug production or trafficking.
What seemingly innocuous items can potentially make someone look like a criminal to law enforcement professionals?
Common household items can look nefarious
Simple items ranging from pool cleaners and paint thinner to cat litter have a known association with drug trafficking and production. People may use these chemicals to manufacture drugs from scratch or to reformulate or adulterate drugs before distributing them on the unregulated market.
Someone who has multiple empty containers of pool or paint chemicals that they dispose of all at once might draw the attention of local law enforcement authorities. The same could potentially be true of those who recently had a severe cold that infected each of their family members, as the large number of packages they dispose of could look suspect.
Items that people throw out may attract police attention and end up contributing to the state’s evidence even if officers never secure a warrant. Under current rules for police searches, items set out to the curb for trash pickup are subject to search without a warrant.
Police officers may attempt to connect benign items to potentially nefarious conduct. Secondary factors such as the high level of traffic in and out of someone’s house or personal connections to those associated with drug trafficking can increase the likelihood of the state pursuing serious criminal charges against an individual.
Those accused of drug-related offensesbased on circumstantial evidence often need help responding to the charges they’re facing. Understanding why seemingly random items set out for trash pickup could lead to drug charges can help those preparing to respond to a recent arrest.