$12k worth of booze seized en route to Alice Springs, remote communities in three day road blitz

‘Exploiting the vulnerable’: The Territory’s illegal alcohol trade is in the spotlight after huge amounts of cask wine was seized allegedly en route to Alice Springs and remote communities.

Northern Territory police have seized almost $12,000 worth of alcohol allegedly headed for Alice Springs and remote Indigenous communities to be sold on the black market.

It comes as a three-day blitz on road safety this week resulted in four large-scale drug and alcohol testing stations set up across the Barkly, Victoria and Stuart Highways.

Over the 72 hour period police issued 179 speeding tickets, 10 drink driving infringements, and 16 drug driving infringements.

Large stocks of cask wine were also discovered in two cars travelling up from South Australia, which police allege were intended for the illegal alcohol trade.

Northern Territory Police seized a total of 395 litres of alcohol headed for Alice Springs and remote indigenous communities. Picture: Supplied.

Police allege at about 12.30am on Wednesday a vehicle travelling to an Indigenous community in Central Australia was stopped and searched, with 39 five litre boxes of wine uncovered inside.

In a separate incident, a Holden Statesman was stopped just after 12pm on Thursday and police allegedly discovered 40 five litre boxes of wine headed for Alice Springs.

A background check on the driver, a 46-year-old woman, found she had been recently arrested and prosecuted over secondary supply of alcohol in Alice Springs.

Charges are expected to be laid in relation to both of this week’s seizures.

NT Police Assistant Commissioner Martin Dole said the “significant” haul highlighted the illegal alcohol trade in the Territory.

“Since the interim alcohol measures in January, people have seen the opportunity to exploit that vulnerability of people that have addictions to alcohol,” he said.

Interim alcohol measures have been in place in Central Australia since January 27, reducing the trading hours for liquor sales in Alice Springs.

“It shows that people are willing to break the law for their own profit and this will have a significant impact on the safety of Alice Springs,” he said.

“Police have stopped almost 400 litres of alcohol flowing into the community and surrounds of Alice Springs in an unregulated environment.”

NT Police Assistant Commissioner Martin Dole said the 395L seizure was a “significant” find. Picture: Fia Walsh

It was estimated 5-litre casks of wine sold for between $100-$150 on the secondary supply market, making the 395 litre seizure worth up to $11,850.

Mr Dole said an improvement in Alice Springs crime statistics was beginning to be felt after months of unrest in the town.

“We’re slightly down on unlawful entries and we’re slightly down on anti-social behaviour

“Alice Springs police haven’t taken their foot off the pedal at all, we’ve been working incredibly hard across the last 12 months and we’re starting to see the results of that work coming to fruition.”