MEADVILLE — Cooperation turned a U.S. 84 traffic stop into a major drug arrest Wednesday night that put three Natchez men behind bars.

Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office arrested Christian Singleton, 38, and John S. Dillard, 25, following a traffic stop Wednesday. Singleton and Dillard are in the Franklin County Jail.

Following those arrests, the investigation resumed in Natchez at two houses on Oakland Drive, where officials arrested Wesley A. Bell, 30, and seized approximately six pounds of marijuana and five and a half ounces of cocaine, Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield said.

“Cooperation — that is what it takes in the drug war,” he said. “Offices do share a lot of information and this was a joint investigation.”

Mayfield said ACSO and Metro Narcotics have had their eyes on Singleton for a few months.

Singleton was using 301 Oakland Drive as a place of operation, Mayfield said.

“Chris Singleton has been a subject of interest for heavy narcotics trafficking in Adams County,” Mayfield said.

Metro Narcotics Commander David Lindsey, whose office also cooperated in the investigation, said Singleton was on probation for prior drug charges.

“The more they get arrested, the smarter they get, but we have done a good job staying smarter than the drug dealers,” Lindsey said. “It was a successful operation, nobody was hurt and the bad guys are behind bars.”

With the drugs, which MBN Director Marshall Fisher said in a press release have a street value of approximately $15,000, agents also seized a number of small plastic bags, a set of scales and an undetermined amount of cash.

Bell was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Dillard, 8 Old Lewis Lane, was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Singleton, 133 St. Catherine St., was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana.

Singleton and Dillard have bonds set at $100,000. Bell is awaiting arraignment.

The arrests were a joint effort of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Metro Narcotics and the Adams County and Franklin County sheriff’s offices.