Ballarat Divisional Response Unit officers have charged two men after locating what is alleged to be a traffickable amount of drugs during two separate searches at the Beyond the Valley music festival in Barunah Plains yesterday.
Officers intercepted a 28-year-old South Yarra man at the festival and conducted a search about 1.45pm on 30 December.
Police seized what is alleged to be 17 MDMA pills, four grams of cocaine, and seven other pills believed to be drugs of dependence.
He has been charged with traffick cocaine and MDMA, and was bailed to appear before the Geelong Magistrates' Court on 12 March 2025.
Police searched a 27-year-old Rippleside man at the festival about 5.25pm, seizing what is alleged to be 27 grams of cocaine and 15 grams of ketamine.
He has been charged with traffick cocaine and ketamine, and was bailed to appear before the Geelong Magistrates' Court on 12 March 2025.
Police will continue to have a highly visible presence at the Beyond the Valley music festival.
This will include officers patrolling the festival grounds to ensure safety and security of festival goers and deter any criminal activity or anti-social behaviour.
Victoria Police is aware a drug-checking place is operating at this festival.
Under the new legislation, it is not a criminal offence to possess small amounts of illicit drugs if you are attending a drug-checking place as a client. As a result, officers will not be attending these sites unless responding to incidents requiring police attendance.
Police will continue to enforce against drug offences away from the drug-checking place and seize any illicit substances. As always, police may use discretion to not enforce possession offences.
Victoria Police has zero tolerance for drug traffickers and officers will have no hesitation arresting and charging someone for this offence, no matter where it occurs.
