Two Laurinburg residents were arrested on Thursday night following a traffic stop when a large quantity of hydrocodone was found in their vehicle, authorities say.

Around 9 p.m., Chamel Linton, 29, and Jonetta Covington, 25, both of 406 Hood St. were stopped on US 401 near King Street for improper placement of registration tags. Linton, who was driving, did not have his license.

A search of the vehicle recovered 49.6 grams of opium/hydrocodone derivative, said Earl Haywood, narcotics investigator for the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s a lot to find at one time - there were a total of 55 pills,” Haywood said. “They were in a clear pill bottle with no identification whatsoever.”

Both Linton and Covington were arrested and charged with one felony count of trafficking Schedule III narcotics, one felony count of maintaining a vehicle for the purpose of selling narcotics, and one felony count of conspiracy. They were each placed under a $75,000 secured bond.

Linton was already wanted for prior warrants of misdemeanor larceny and operating a vehicle without insurance.

According to Haywood, the type of pills recovered from the vehicle are commonly abused and sold illegally for $9 to $12 per pill. The street value of the pills seized is in excess of $500.

“Based on the way society is now, those type of pills, Schedule II and Schedule III, are actually abused and sold because of the easy access of those types of narcotics,” said Haywood.