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Bruce Highway police operation targeting Happy Daze drivers

More than 70 people have been charged in an ongoing police operation targeting drivers attending Yalboroo’s Happy Daze festival.

Police have laid more than 100 drug-related charges following a traffic operation outside Yalboroo’s Happy Daze festival. Picture: Lillian Watkins
Police have laid more than 100 drug-related charges following a traffic operation outside Yalboroo’s Happy Daze festival. Picture: Lillian Watkins

A police operation targeting drivers from the Yalboroo Happy Daze Festival has lead to hundreds of drug-related charges on the weekend.

The three day music festival started on Friday running through to Sunday, taking place north of Mackay between Calen and Bloomsbury.

Police stopped traffic in both directions on the Bruce Highway to test for drugs and alcohol.

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While the operation is still ongoing, a police spokeswoman said 71 people had been charged with 165 offences so far.

On Sunday, a police spokesman said police charges had been laid for more than 100 drug-related offences.

Festival director Ben Irving said organisers were supportive of police operations in the area before patrons arrived at the event grounds.

“If people are stupid enough to bring drugs into the festival, we’re fine with police doing what they’re doing,” Mr Irving said on Sunday.

It followed reports a man was taken to hospital from the festival suffering a medical episode Mr Irving said was dehydration.

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/mackay/bruce-highway-police-operation-targeting-happy-daze-drivers/news-story/6ae0824ca165acd8028e7f4a54ab51ba