Revealed: Schoolies, airport and parliament among SA’s cocaine hot spots

Traces of cocaine have been found among Schoolies revellers, it can be revealed – prompting calls for a greater crackdown on the expensive designer drug.

SA’s year 12 students have received their final SACE scores – but the results are also in from last month’s Schoolies celebrations, revealing traces of the illicit drug cocaine in areas attended by celebrating school leavers.

Detection swabs found residue of cocaine, the world’s most expensive drug per gram, in public toilets and a popular pub as teenage school-leavers descended on Victor Harbor last month.

On the weekend of Schoolies – November 25 to 27 – the female toilets at the Hotel Victor returned a strong positive result, while traces were detected in the public toilets at Warland Reserve.

The commercially available detection swabs turn blue if residue of cocaine is on a surface and can detect all purity levels of the illicit substance.

Hotel Victor did not respond to requests for comment.

The street value of cocaine, which is most commonly dealt in powdered form in Australia, is usually measured as a ‘cap’ or in grams.

According to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the price for one gram of cocaine is between $300 and $600, while 1kg is between $150,000 and $330,000.

In SA, the maximum penalty for cocaine possession or supply, not in a commercial quantity, is $50,000 or 10 years’ imprisonment.

At the three-day festival’s conclusion, SA Police praised the behaviour of this year’s school leavers, saying the overall behaviour of attending students was positive.

There was just one arrest alongside more than 40 fines – including two for cannabis-related offences – and five traffic infringements.

Flying high?

Traces of cocaine were also discovered in the bathrooms inside Adelaide Airport’s main terminal, through security gates.

An Adelaide Airport spokesperson said its customers “should be aware that random drug detection activities are carried out from time to time in the terminal”.

At SkyCity Adelaide, small traces of cocaine were detected in both the women’s and men’s bathrooms in the downstairs pokies area.

SkyCity Adelaide’s chief operating officer David Christian said any patron suspected of engaging in illegal substances would be banned from the venue and police contacted.

“SkyCity has a zero-tolerance policy on illegal substances to ensure a safe environment for customers and employees,” Mr Christian said.

Traces of cocaine were discovered in the bathrooms inside Adelaide Airport’s main terminal, past security. File image.

“If any suspicious substances are found on the property, they are reported and handed to SAPOL.”

Some of the city’s commuters also appear to be dancing with the white devil, with one of Adelaide’s busiest transport hot spots returning strong positive swabs.

Significant amounts of cocaine residue were detected in the women’s bathrooms of the Adelaide Railway Station on Friday morning – and traces found in the men’s bathrooms.

Those already facing the strong arm of the law have come out clean – with no traces of cocaine detected in the bathrooms of the Adelaide Magistrates Court or Supreme Court.

SA Best MLC Pangallo called on authorities for a greater crackdown on “designer drugs” across the board in the wake of The Advertiser’s findings, labelling them “astonishing”.

“This demands a harder crackdown by authorities and if it means sending in drug sniffing police dogs into these places and other entertainment and leisure venues unannounced, then so be it,” Mr Pangallo said.

“Adelaide already has the unwanted title of Australia’s meth capital, but it is equally concerning that our community seems to be awash with designer drugs like cocaine.”

‘Brazen’ finding in Parliament House

Traces of the illicit drug were also detected at Parliament House on the last sitting day for the state’s politicians, a special investigation by The Advertiser can reveal.

Detection swabs found residue of cocaine in the bathrooms of areas accessible by the state’s top public servants, including politicians, advisers and staff – in an act labelled as “recklessly brazen”.

A comprehensive swab of the bathrooms of the North Terrace building just after 5pm on December 1, the last sitting day for parliamentarians, came out hot for the designer drug.

Wipes detected cocaine in the male bathrooms on level two – which predominantly houses members and staff of the state’s Liberal party, as well as visitors – and the male bathrooms outside of the House of Assembly.

The Parliament House bathrooms are accessible to both Liberal and Labor Party members, crossbenchers, public servants, staff and visitors.

Traces of cocaine have been discovered inside bathrooms at Parliament House. Picture: Matt Loxton

Cocaine swabs taken inside Parliament House.

Blue residue indicates the presence of cocaine.

Members of parliament contacted by The Advertiser said they were stunned by the discovery, with SA Best MLC Frank Pangallo labelling the act “recklessly brazen”.

“It is most disturbing and recklessly brazen that someone would bring in drugs, like cocaine, into Parliament House,” Mr Pangallo said.

“There’s no place for it in any workplace, or anywhere for that matter.”

However, Mr Pangallo said he did not believe a sitting member was responsible and that, with Parliament House open to the public, it would be impossible to determine how the illicit drugs got there.

“Along with those who work here, hundreds visit parliament each week for a variety of reasons, especially during sitting weeks or for special functions,” he said.

“The many I know here on all sides of politics would never tolerate or condone that type of conduct if they were aware of it, or even if they suspected it was going on.”

SA Best MLC Frank Pangallo MLC said he was stunned by the discovery. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Emma Brasier

One Nation MLC Sarah Game seconded Mr Pangallo’s comments, saying she was shocked by the findings.

“We don’t know the source, but illicit substances have no place in this building,” Ms Game said.

Both SA Labor and the SA Liberal Party declined to comment when approached by The Advertiser.

A disclaimer for wipes warns there is a possibility of false positives occurring.

When contacted about whether Parliament House would be looked into over the findings, SA Police said surface swabs did not represent sufficient justification to commence an investigation unless accompanied with other supporting evidence.

Police said there were not any active investigations into the use or possession of any illicit or illegal substances in Parliament House.

In March this year, Yorke Peninsula was home to SA’s largest cocaine bust when Operation Lithgow – a joint effort involving both SA Police and Australian Federal Police – intercepted a 431kg haul headed for Australian shores.

The cocaine cache was so large – with a street value of more than $250m – it was the equivalent of just under half the total amount of cocaine seized in the whole of Australia in 2021.