Fourth man charged at Beyond the Valley for alleged drug trafficking

A Lara teenager arrested on New Year’s Eve is the fourth person charged with alleged drug trafficking at Beyond the Valley music festival.

Revellers have flocked to Barunah Plains for the Beyond the Valley music festival. Picture: Alan Barber

A teenager has been arrested and charged at Beyond the Valley (BTV) music festival, the fourth arrest in 24-hours.

Police spoke to an 18-year-old at about 6.15pm on New Year’s Eve, before searching the teenager and allegedly finding MDMA.

He has been charged with traffick drug of dependence (MDMA) and possess drug of dependence (MDMA), and will front Geelong Magistrates Court on March 13.

Police have been a highly visible presence at BTV, as the state government trials a pill-testing program at the popular festival.

The festival in Barunah Plains, about 45km from Geelong, began on Saturday and will conclude on Wednesday.

Officers will continue to patrol the festival grounds to ensure safety and security of festival goers and deter any criminal activity or anti-social behaviour.

The Lara teen’s arrest comes after three men have been charged after police found what is alleged to be a trafficable amount of drugs during separate searches at the BTV.

According to a Victoria Police spokesperson, Ballarat Divisional Response Unit officers spoke to a 22-year-old man from Croydon Hills about 2.20pm on 31 December and he was subsequently searched.

It is alleged police located ketamine and MDMA on the man.

He was charged with trafficking ketamine and possessing MDMA and was bailed to appear at Geelong Magistrate’s’ Court on 12 March.

Another man, a 24-year-old from Ringwood East, was also issued a drug diversion for possessing ketamine.

It was reported earlier Ballarat Divisional Response Unit officers intercepted a 28-year-old South Yarra man at the festival and conducted a search about 1.45pm on December 30.

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 trafficking cocaine and MDMA, and was bailed to appear before the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on March 12.

Police then 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 trafficking cocaine and ketamine, and was bailed to appear before the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on March 12.

This comes after a man in his 20s was hospitalised after a suspected drug overdose on the first day of the festival.

The man was rushed to Geelong hospital in a serious but stable condition.

He was kept in hospital overnight and discharged on Sunday morning.

Police have committed to continuing to have a highly visible presence at BTV, including officers patrolling the festival grounds to ensure safety and security of festival goers and deter any criminal activity or anti-social behaviour.

The state government announced in November that BTV would be the first of 10 Victorian music festivals to trial onsite pill testing.

Under the new legislation, it is not a criminal offence to possess small amounts of illicit drugs if a person is attending a drug-checking place as a client.

However, police will continue to enforce against drug offences away from the drug-checking place and seize any illicit substances.

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.

Originally published as Fourth man charged at Beyond the Valley for alleged drug trafficking