Nine arrested, charged with breaching remote community COVID-19 restrictions

NINE men, who were found stranded on a broken-down boat, have been charged with breaching strict COVID-19 biosecurity laws by entering a remote community without going into quarantine

Northern Territory Police have charged nine men with breaching strict COVID-19 biosecurity laws by allegedly entering a remote community without going into quarantine.

NINE men, who were found stranded on a broken-down dinghy, have been charged with breaching strict COVID-19 biosecurity laws by allegedly entering a remote community without going into quarantine.

Contact tracing has begun within the community with the assistance of the Health Clinic.

NT Police allege a group of five men travelled by boat from their remote community to Darwin on Wednesday and picked up four additional passengers before returning home.

However, the boat broke down before they arrived, leaving the nine passengers stranded on the water overnight.

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A family member provided some assistance at about noon on Thursday and police

— acting on information that the dinghy may be transporting alcohol and drugs — met the boat where it landed.

Police arrested a 37-year old male passenger they allegedly found with 27 grams of cannabis. Police also allege he was also found to be in breach of bail conditions.

Further investigations allegedly identified several breaches of the Biosecurity Act by those on board the dinghy, who are alleged to have entered a designated area from an excluded area without appropriate authorisation or quarantining periods.

The nine males were arrested and charged for failing to comply with emergency requirements.