Routine traffic stops in Covington County Sunday led to five arrests, including four for heroin.

Three men were arrested at a safety check point Sunday night on Hwy. 137 near Blue Lake Methodist Camp.

Deputies Jeff Daniel, Paul Adams and Nick Stanley, along with Forest Ranger Eric Wiley, were working the checkpoint when an occupant of a vehicle that stopped there threw a cigarette out of the window. When the officers asked the man to pick up the cigarette, the passenger exited the vehicle, and officers saw a plastic bag containing an amount of marijuana. The driver and passengers were asked to exit the vehicle, and officers received consent to search the vehicle. During the search, officers found numerous needles and a plastic bag containing heroin.

.John T. Ford, 25, of Carterville, Tenn., Travis Kirk Reynolds, 24 of Destin, Fla., Phillip Bradley Mitchell, 28, of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., and Philip Thomas Carnarda, 26, of Niceville, were each arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana II, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. They are each being held in the Covington County Jail on bonds of $20,500.

DTF Commander Mark Odom was called to assist with the case.

In an unrelated incident, Tommie Gene Self, 54, was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop in Opp.

Officer Mitch Scofield of the OPD initiated the traffic stop after witnessing Self commit a traffic violation. Scofield received consent to search the vehicle, and found an amount of methamphetamine in a plastic pill bottle wrapped in duct tape.

Self was arrested and held on a $13,000 bond. DTF Agent David Harrell assisted with the case.

DTF prosecutor Emmett Massey said heroin is not something local law enforcement encounters very often.

“It is a very dangerous drug,” he said. “No matter where you are from, if you bring illegal drugs into our county, you will be prosecuted.”