Adhering to their promise to crack down on drugs at Melbourne’s Stereosonic Music Festival, police arrested 139 people at the two-day event which took place this weekend at the Melbourne Showgrounds.
Aided by sniffer dogs, police nabbed 64 people on Saturday and 75 people on Sunday. The Age reports 10 people have since been charged after officers detected drugs on their person, including ecstasy, amphetamines, cocaine and cannabis.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Pilkington said it was disappointing so many people were risking their lives by taking drugs and reiterated law enforcement’s focus on tackling the issue of drugs at music events. “We will continue to work closely with event organisers to try and limit these substances at events,” he said.
Punters at the Brisbane leg of the festival, also held this weekend, were decidedly better behaved with the Brisbane Times reporting 18 people were evicted from the festival by police and issued with notices to appear in court for drug-related offences, resisting arrest, and one of them for possessing a knife.
Earlier this month, over 100 people were charged with drug-related offences at the Sydney Stereosonic festival. NSW Police Operation Commander, Superintendent David Eardley said Police will continue to crack down on drug offences at similar events in the future. “Police will continue to target people over drug possession as these substances are illegal. They pose very serious health risks and in some instances they can prove lethal.”
