MANCHESTER - Two people were arrested on robbery and drug offenses after an officer, on routine patrol, pulled over what he considered a suspicious vehicle at Union and Valley streets.

According to a news release, Officer Aaron Brown noticed the vehicle parked in a rear alley near Pine and Auburn streets. He followed it as it left the alley, made a series of quick turns, reversed direction and began circling a small area with no apparent destination.

Brown eventually pulled the vehicle over at Union and Valley streets. Police said three nervous people were inside it, and Brown determined a rear passenger, identified as Scott Prior, 25, of Alton, was wanted in Alton on a felony robbery charge. Prior was taken into custody.

Officer Walter Feldhouse arrived to assist and noticed the front passenger, identified by police as Nora Dansereau, 21, of Barnstead, trying to hide a syringe believed to contain heroin inside her purse, according to the news release.

Police said Feldhouse later recovered a small baggy of brown powder, again believed to be heroin, hidden inside a Cracker Jack box found near where Dansereau was seated in the front. She was arrested and charged with being in possession of a controlled drug, a felony.