Police say they nabbed 159 punters with naughty substances during a drug dog operation at the Sydney leg of Listen Out festival this weekend.
Coppers from the Central Metropolitan Region teamed up with undercover operatives, the Public Order Riot Squad, the Central Metropolitan Enforcement Squad (ODIN), the Licensing Police and the Police Transport Command to sick their sniffer dogs on the 34,000 partygoers in attendance, collaring 154 for alleged drug possession and five others for alleged drug supply offences.
Police also dished out three charges for resisting arrest, three for assaulting police, four for failing to quit and one for offensive behaviour.
In a statement to media, Operation Commander and Superintendent Karen McCarthy said that, despite a small contingent of troublemakers, the majority of punters at the Centennial Park event were well-behaved.
“We conduct these operations because the wellbeing and safety of attendees is our number one priority,” McCarthy said.
“Generally, festival goers were well behaved and enjoyed the event, however there appears to be a small section of the community that continues to possess and deal in illegal substances, despite our warnings,” she continued.
“Both uniformed and covert officers attend these festivals so if you choose to act illegally or anti-socially you will never know if the person standing next to you is a police officer”.
It comes after the NSW cops issued a stern warning to Listen Out attendees prior to the event about using or dealing illicit drugs, following the deaths of two people at the city’s Defqon.1 festival earlier this month.
Of twelve people who were taken to hospital during the festival, seven of those suffered drug-related medical issues.
Listen Out also took place in Melbourne and Perth last weekend. Police are investigating an alleged sexual assault which took place at the Melbourne leg, but were generally “pleased” with crowd behaviour, despite a number of arrests.
The final Brisbane leg wraps up tonight.
REVIEW: Listen Out 2018 – Catani Gardens, Melbourne
Gallery: Listen Out 2018 – Melbourne / Photos: Kylie Carns
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