BASSINTHEGRASS festival goers ditched drugs due to sniffer dog presence, say NT Police

BASSINTHEGRASS festival goers shied away from attempting to take drugs past the sniffer dogs, instead throwing their contraband on the ground, NT Police have revealed.

BASSINTHEGRASS festival goers shied away from attempting to take drugs past the sniffer dogs, instead throwing their contraband on the ground, NT Police have revealed. Picture: Che Chorley

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BASSINTHEGRASS festival goers shied away from attempting to take drugs past the sniffer dogs, instead throwing their contraband on the ground, NT Police have revealed.

NT Police Commander Matthew Hollamby said discarded drugs were found scattered in the grass outside of the festival before the entrance gates.

He theorised the narcotics were dumped by party goers upon seeing the two sniffer dogs at the entrance.

Cdr Hollamby said most of the drugs seized were cocaine and MDMA pills.

“Some people got caught with drugs, MDMA, cocaine but there were a lot of discarded drugs just prior to where the sniffer dogs were located and they were seized as well,” Cdr Hollamby said.

A police media release indicated two people were slapped with notices to appear at court for drug related offences.

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Cdr Hollamby warned people against taking narcotics, saying it could be dangerous.

“Look what I can say is you have no idea how these drugs are made, they’re made in horrible circumstances by people that don’t know what they’re doing,” he said.

“And we’ve seen at other parties and festivals the consequences of bad batches of drugs getting out into the community – people have died.

“So, we strongly discourage the taking of illicit drugs at a party or any time.”

Cdr Hollamby said the decision to pill test was not a police decision but up to the government.

The festival, held last Saturday was Darwin’s biggest ever with a 14,000-strong crowd attending.

Ticketing information revealed more than half the revellers were from interstate.