Drugs zones to give police extreme search powers

The creation of 22 “search areas” will allow police in these zones to search people or their vehicles in a major crackdown on drugs.

Police are being given new powers to search for drugs.

The West Australian government is giving its police officers increased search and seizure powers in order to crack down on drug imports and distribution.

The new legislation, to be introduced to parliament this week, would create of 22 “search zones” around the state’s airports, ports, road and railway entries.

Police will be able to conduct “regular, high visibility searches of vehicles and people using electronic wands and drug detection dogs” within these designated zones, according to the government’s media release.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said the powers wouldn’t apply to people ‘just walking down the street in Perth or Bunbury’. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Philip Gostelow

Premier Mark McGowan, announcing the measures on Tuesday, compared it with biosecurity officers searching cars for fruit and vegetables at WA road borders.

“And I think meth, heroin, or cocaine is more dangerous than a banana, an apple, or an orange,” Mr McGowan said.

“The evidence shows it works,” he said, referring to the height of the Covid pandemic when strict border controls meant drug offences were down.

Mr McGowan said wastewater testing also found drug use was less commonplace as a result; a 50 per cent reduction in the amount of methamphetamine found in the Perth metropolitan area’s wastewater, and some regional areas recorded drops of up to 73 per cent.

“We want to try and replicate that, we’ll see how it goes. These laws have a five-year duration … and we’ll see if they work or otherwise.”

The proposed laws would create 22 search areas at WA border crossings, where police could search people or cars without reasonable suspicion.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch confirmed police were in consultation with Australian Federal Police, who are normally tasked with enforcing border laws.

“The resources of Western Australia Police are far greater than the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force in Western Australia, so this is about working together and responding quickly,” Mr Blanch said.

“We will use a number of capabilities, primarily intelligence-driven, to identify locations and times when we think drugs will cross our border or money will go on the way out.”

Opposition Leader Shane Love said his party would consider the Bill “on its merits” to strike a balance between public safety and police overreach.

“Stop and search is something which, on the face of it, we’re supportive of, but, again, the devil will be in the detail,” Mr Love said.

Originally published as Drugs zones to give police extreme search powers