An Elma police officer on patrol identifying what appeared to be a vehicle reported stolen in Aberdeen led to a drug bust on Thursday.

With assistance from the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office and the McCleary Police Department, the vehicle was stopped, an arrest was made, and thousands of suspected fentanyl pills were seized, according to a news release from Sgt. Chad Sample the Elma Police Department.

An Elma officer on patrol noticed a vehicle matching the description of a vehicle reported stolen from Aberdeen, the news release said. As the officer was verifying the license plate as belonging to a stolen vehicle, the driver left the parking lot it was in and turned onto the highway towards McCleary, according to the news release.

The EPD officer pursued the suspect vehicle, stopping it with the assistance of other departments, and arrested the driver for possession of a stolen vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, the suspected fentanyl pills were located.

The driver, a 47-year-old Tumwater man whose name has not yet been released pending charges being filed, was detained at the Grays Harbor County Jail, according to the news release.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.