Northern Territory Police conducted an overt operation over the last week on the Plenty, Stuart and Barkly highways targeting road safety and the illicit possession, consumption and distribution of alcohol and drugs in the Alice Springs and Barkly Regions.
Members from the Tennant Creek Investigations Branch, Southern Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk, Dog Operations Unit and Harts Range Police were deployed throughout the operation to assist.
With the Mt Isa Rodeo and Harts Range Races held between the 5th and 12th of August, this compliance operation focused on inspecting and searching heavy combination vehicles and other road users around the clock. Specified Drug Declared Areas and Random Breath Testing Stations compiled a large list of outcomes for the operation with 10 Traffic Infringement Notices, 12 Drug Infringement Notices, 70 Litres of alcohol Tipped Out and 6 Notices To Appear in relation to the possession and supply of traffickable quantities of drugs and the seizure of a prohibited weapon handed out.
Simultaneously in the Katherine Region, members from the Dog Operations Unit, Northern Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk and Northern Traffic Operations briefly engaged in a collaborative approach to the National Heavy Vehicle Survey with National Heavy Vehicle Regulators from SA, ACT and Darwin. As a result, two people were issued with notices to appear in court for driving under the influence of drugs and a further two traffic Infringement notices and three cautions.
Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said, "Road safety is a high priority for the Territory community with so many lives unnecessarily lost on our roads so far this year. The dedicated and hard working men and women of the NT Police are committed to proactively targeting every corner of the Territory to ensure road users are not placing their lives or the lives of others at risk. This operation was a strategic approach to managing heavy traffic through some of the NT's most remote areas and emphasising that police will not stand for this behaviour on Territory roads.
"The collaboration between our specialised units has led to significant outcomes, including multiple infringements and the seizure of drugs and other dangerous items, reinforcing our zero-tolerance approach to crime."
Anyone with information on the supply of illegal alcohol or drugs into our communities can call police on 131 444 or make an anonymous report to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
