Mary Katherine Murphy/photo Left, Narcotics Investigator Earl Haywood, with Sheriff Shep Jones, inspects drugs, cash, and paraphernalia from a Friday morning drug bust.

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The Scotland County Sheriff’s Office conducted two separate drug busts Friday morning at the same time.

“If you start doing them here and there at certain times, it gives people a chance to call around and say ‘Hey they’re doing search warrants today, hide your dope,’ so we did them simultaneously,” said narcotics investigator Earl Haywood.

A warrant served at 208 3^rd St. in East Laurinburg resulted in the arrests of Tansley Ward and his girlfriend Shannon Norton, after over two ounces of marijuana were found packaged and prepared for sale, according to deputies.

The search was conducted with assistance from the Hoke County Sheriff’s Office.

Both Ward and Norton were charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of selling and delivering a controlled substance, and manufacturing marijuana plants.

At the same time officers arrested Ward and Norton, a warrant was served at 19300 Corbitt Road, the home of 27-year-old Jamel Smith and his girlfriend Crystal Chavis.

During the course of the search, officers said that they discovered 3.5 grams of crack cocaine, 6.2 grams of marijuana, and several methadone and Vicodin tablets.

“When in fact we did enter the residence, there were some narcotics in plain view,” Haywood said.

The rest of the drugs were eventually found, although Smith had hidden them in one of his shoes, according to authorities.

“When you work in this job long enough, you know the little tricks of the trade that you come across in your daily job,” said Haywood. “You have a ready knowledge that some people will hide certain things in certain places. During his Miranda rights, he denied everything, but we sat back and put the puzzle together and analyzed everything that was visible, and we found it.”

Both Smith and Chavis were arrested for possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, possession with intent to sell and deliver crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, conspiracy to sell and deliver Schedule II methadone dosage units, as well as conspiracy to sell and deliver crack cocaine.

Charges related to four pitbull dogs found on the property may be forthcoming.

Two children, who were in the home at the time of the search, have been released to “proper adult care,” according to Haywood.

Chavis has been placed under a $50,000 bond. Smith, who was on probation, has been placed under no bond.