GREENFIELD — Three Vermont residents have been charged with trafficking heroin after they were pulled over on Interstate 91 in Greenfield early Tuesday morning for a routine traffic violation.

Christopher Haskins, 23, of Rutland, Vt.; Daniel A. Garcia, 38, of Florence, Vt; and Melissa M. Withington, 31, also of Florence, Vt., were arrested and charged with trafficking 100 grams or more of heroin, being present where heroin is kept and conspiracy to violate drug law.

Garcia, the driver, faces additional charges of unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and a license plate violation. All three were arraigned in Greenfield District Court Tuesday.

According to a state police report, trooper Timothy Stone was parked on I-91 in Greenfield around 12:30 a.m. when he saw a northbound vehicle with no license plate light. After stopping the vehicle, Stone wrote he learned the operator, identified as Garcia, did not have a valid driver’s license.

During a search, Stone found a hollowed-out pen in Withington’s sweatshirt pocket, which he noted in his report are often used for snorting drugs. Two six-inch knives were also located in Haskins’ pants pocket.

The occupants of the vehicle said they were traveling from Foxwoods casino to Rutland, Vt., but when asked what casino games they played, Stone wrote they had no answer. He noted in his report that I-91 is a major drug trafficking route — cash travels south to Springfield, Holyoke and Connecticut while drugs travel north to Vermont.

Based on direction of travel and the hollowed-out pen, Stone wrote he had probable cause to believe drugs may be located in the vehicle.

Police found a white, rock-like substance consistent with heroin wrapped in a clear plastic bag in a jacket pocket in the vehicle, as well as six pieces of wax paper folded to contain a powder consistent with heroin, according to the report. A plastic bag with boxes of wax baggies and multiple bottles of Super Mannitol powder were located in the back seat.

Stone noted in his report that drug dealers are known to use powder substances like Super Mannitol to cut heroin.

No one claimed ownership of the jacket and plastic bag, according to the report, and the three occupants were transported to the Shelburne Falls barracks for booking. While in the the cruiser, Stone wrote, Haskins told police the three never traveled to Foxwoods as planned, and Garcia stopped at a residence in Hartford, Conn. for five minutes and returned with the plastic bag.

According to the report, the rock-like substance believed to be heroin weighed 103 grams.

The three were held at the Franklin County jail until their arraignment Tuesday and are due back in court June 3 for a bind-over hearing to determine whether their cases will be transferred to Superior Court.

Bail was set at $75,000 cash or $750,000 surety for Garcia  and $25,000 cash or $250,000 surety for Haskins and Withington.

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