There’s a little less cocaine on the streets of Beaufort County going into 2019, following three busts by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit in the span of two weeks. The most recent arrest this week involved a Belhaven man who was transporting drug via the Aurora-Bayview ferry.

On Thursday, BCSO investigators acted on tips received from concerned citizens and informants and cornered Nathan Freeman at the Bayview ferry terminal. Deputies had established surveillance on Freeman after learning that he was allegedly transporting cocaine from Belhaven to Aurora on the ferry.

“We had some complaints from citizens that live in the Aurora area that were basically calling on him and we had some informants that were telling us about him,” BCSO Drug Unit Lt. Russell Davenport said. “He is currently on probation for selling drugs, so we were very familiar with him. The ferry, I guess for him, was easier than driving all the way around and risking the possibility of getting stopped.”

After searching Freeman, investigators found plastic bags of cocaine and charged him with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine. Freeman, 37, is a resident of N. Pantego Street in Belhaven.

The two other arrests came on the same day last year, Dec. 20, with two Washington men arrested on possession and distribution charges in separate incidents.

Christopher Cuffey, 30, of W. Fifth Street in Washington, was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine after investigators purchased the drug from him. According to Davenport, Cuffey had no prior criminal record.

Travis Cobb, 34, of Jasper Lane in Washington, was charged with possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Having received complaints about Cobb’s involvement in the use and distribution of drugs, deputies conducted a traffic stop for driving with no license. When they searched his vehicle, they found a plastic bag containing cocaine. Davenport says that Cobb was out of jail on bond at the time with two pending drug charges.

“We still have just as much cocaine as we ever had,” Davenport said. “Nothing’s really changed… it just depends on what group of people we’re working on that week and what complaints we’re getting in.”

All three men were confined in the Beaufort County Detention Center under secured bonds, Freeman at $35,000, Cuffey at $2,500 and Cobb at $2,500. All three have since been released on bond. Davenport declined to comment on whether any of the cases were related.