A Police Magazine reader submitted this story to alert fellow officers to the availability of a cane that can carry illegal substances.

During a recent traffic stop by another officer in my North Carolina town, this walking stick/cane was located in the vehicle. It was in three separate pieces that screw together to make about a four-foot stick. The top of the cane appears to be a brass ball that is about an inch and a half to two inches in diameter. The ball unscrews to reveal a compass, while the top half is hollow. This cavity would hold a fairly decent sized amount of controlled substance.

When I unscrewed the top of the walking stick I found that the first segment contained a hollowed out portion, and a corked vial was inside the cavity. The officers who originally searched the vehicle and noticed the item didn't realize that the cane/walking stick was able to come apart other than where the three pieces connected together.

When we mentioned these items to the subject we had in custody for a traffic violation, he told us that he didn't know the cane did that.

I know I have learned about some things like this in the past from Police Magazine and just wanted to share the information.