Six arrested for drug trafficking at Beyond the Valley music festival in Gippsland
Six people were arrested for drug trafficking and nearly 40 others ejected from the Beyond the Valley music festival at which a 20-year-old man died from a drug overdose.
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Six people were arrested for drug trafficking and nearly 40 others ejected from the Beyond the Valley music festival at which a 20-year-old man died from a drug overdose.
The annual four-day event, which takes place across the new year, was heavily patrolled by police, who seized a wide range of drugs including cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, LSD, ecstasy and cannabis.
A number of weapons and illegal fireworks were also discovered. Police spokeswoman Rochelle Jackson said officers arrested six people for trafficking drugs and three people for carrying weapons.
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Another 26 festival-goers were given a caution and drug diversion notice, while 37 people were ejected from the event near Drouin in Gippsland.
Residents of Mansfield in Victoria’s northeast are reeling after the suspected drug overdose death of a 20-year-old local man at the Gippsland festival. He was flown to hospital on Saturday night in a critical condition, but died on Tuesday morning.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said investigators were yet to determine the circumstances surrounding the man’s death, but it was “not being treated as suspicious”.
Mansfield Mayor Harry Westendorp said the shire was in shock at the loss and would rally around the family. “We are pretty devastated,” he told the Herald Sun. “The family is distraught and grieving. The shire staff will do everything we can to support the family.”
The 20-year-old was one of three people taken to hospital following suspected overdoses at the event, which started last Friday. On Monday, another man in his 20s was flown from the festival to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition, and has since been listed as stable.
On Sunday morning, paramedics took a third man, also in his 20s, to Dandenong Hospital in a critical condition but he has since been discharged.
Inspector Alison Crombie said that overall, despite the tragic death of one patron, the festival ran well this year.
“Dog squad and uniformed members worked with venue security to ensure patron safety by tirelessly searching people and their vehicles for illicit drugs and contraband alcohol,” she said. “We’ll never be able to single-handedly stamp out illicit drug use — however it was obvious that the message of looking after your mates got through to most of the festival-goers.”
In Lorne at the Falls Festival on New Year’s Eve, a man in his 20s was flown to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition after falling and hitting his head. Last night he remained in a serious condition.