Hotspot traveller arrested after allegedly illegally crossing NT border, hitchhiking to remote town

A 23-YEAR-OLD NSW man has been arrested after he allegedly illegally crossed the NT border on foot and hitchhiked to a remote town after being in a declared hotspot.

A 23-YEAR-OLDd NSW man will front court in Alice Springs after he allegedly illegally crossed the Northern Territory border on foot on Monday after being in a declared hotspot.

The man arrived at the Kulgera Border Control Point on September 13, and after speaking to him NT Police discovered he had recently been in a current NSW hotspot.

Police advised he would need to undertake 14 days mandatory quarantine if he entered the Territory.

The man chose not to enter the NT and drove back towards South Australia.

However, later that day, police located the man’s vehicle abandoned in a culvert about two kilometres south of the Kulgera Border Control Point.

The man was located and arrested in Yulara the next day.

Police believe the man crossed the border on foot and then hitchhiked.

Incident Controller Acting Commander Sachin Sharma said police and other agencies had “been working tirelessly to provide a co-ordinated response to this health emergency”.

“The vast majority of travellers have been very cooperative and it is disappointing to see some continue to risk other people’s safety,” she said.

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“We will continue to pursue those who breach the directions of the NT Chief Health Officer.

“Police inquiries found the man only spent a short amount of time in the region. He has been tested for COVID-19 and returned a negative result. He is currently undergoing quarantine in Alice Springs.”

The man was issued with a notice to appear for contravention of an emergency declaration and making a false statutory declaration.

He is due to appear in the Alice Springs Local Court on Monday, September 28.

Investigations are continuing.

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NT Police and environmental health officers are continuing to conduct compliance activities.

The infringement penalty for failing to abide by the Chief Health Officer’s directions issued under section 56 of the Public and Environmental Health Act 2011 is $5,056 for an individual and $25,280 for a business.

32,391 compliance checks have now been completed and 150 fines issued.

For information on quarantine requirements, visit www.coronavirus.nt.gov.au

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