At about 3.00 am on Friday 16 October a traffic apprehension was conducted on a Toyota Landcruiser containing eight people travelling inbound to Maningrida. Whilst members were speaking to the occupants they detected a strong smell of cannabis coming from a passenger side window.
A search of a 30-year-old female passenger located one large package and two small clipseal bags containing cannabis on her person. The vehicle was also searched a Drug Dog gave a positive reaction and a further three packages were located and two males aged 22 and 30 were also arrested the drugs and vehicle seized.
The three offenders have been charged with possess cannabis and bailed to appear in the Darwin Magistrate's Court on 27 October and the 33-year-old male driver has been charged with drive a motor vehicle whilst disqualified and also bailed to that date.
On Saturday Maningrida Police and the Dog Operations Unit conducted passenger and baggage checks of passengers arriving at Maningrida Airport from Darwin. The Drug Detector Dog gave a positive response to two passengers, a female and a male.
The 17-year-old male was allegedly in possession of a small clipseal bag of cannabis (about two grams) hidden in the back of a mobile phone and the 16-year-old female allegedly had 82 grams of cannabis hidden in a baby tissue dispenser. Both offenders will be summonsed to appear in the Maningrida Court on 4 November for drug offences.
A 36-year-old woman will be summonsed for liquor offences to appear in the Maningrida Court on 4 November after police located a 700 ml bottle of liquor.
Whilst conducting drug and liquor searches of a freight barge police observed an unknown vessel refuelling at the barge landing and a search located a quantity of undersized barramundi. A 41-year-old man will be summonsed for fisheries offences to appear in the Maningrida Court on 4 November.
Also on Saturday Maningrida Police and the Dog Operations Unit executed a search warrant at a residence in the township. The Drug Dog gave a positive response to a computer in a bedroom, a clothes cupboard in a second bedroom and a bed located in the central living area.
A total of 123.2 grams of cannabis material was located and seized along with $8 500 in cash.
"As a result of these incidents a total of 534.2 grams of cannabis was located and if sold in remote communities these drugs would be worth approximately $50 000, "said Acting Superintendent Travis Wurst.
"Police will continue to work closely with remote communities such as Maningrida and focus specifically upon liquor and drug traffickers to bring these offenders before the court. This cooperation will, in turn, ensure that outlying Northern Territory communities are places of safety for all concerned."
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