Stock photo.

A traffic stop for an invalid license plate has ended in drug charges for a Chatham man.

The Chatham-Kent Police Service said officers stopped the vehicle on Victoria Avenue in Chatham at around 11:13 p.m. on Monday and learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen. The driver was also prohibited from operating a vehicle.

The driver refused to exit the vehicle and struggled with officers when they tried to take him into custody. Police were eventually able to gain control of the man and he was arrested.

Following a search, authorities also seized suspected methamphetamine and fentanyl.

As a result, a 40-year-old Chatham man is now charged with driving while prohibited, resisting arrest, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen property over $5,000, and two counts of possessing a controlled substance. He was taken to police headquarters and held for a bail hearing.