Two 18-year-old men have been charged with drug offences following two separate incidents overnight at Surfers Paradise.
In the first, around 4.30pm yesterday officers noticed a teenager, who was wearing schoolies identification, walking through a Cypress Avenue, Surfers Paradise car park. Officers became suspicious of the teen and conducted a search of him and his vehicle, during which time they allegedly located a quantity of cash, cannabis and more than 100 ecstasy tablets.
The 18-year-old Holland Park man has been charged with two counts of possessing dangerous drugs and one count each of supplying dangerous drugs, possession of a utensil, possessing tainted property and possession of property suspected to have been used in the commission of an offence.
He was refused bail and remanded in custody, spending the night in the Southport Watchhouse before his appearance this morning in Court. A check of his schoolies ID revealed it to be fake.
In the second, police were called to the Schoolies Hub area around 10.20pm after security had spotted a man acting suspiciously. When police searched the man they allegedly located 25 MDMA (ecstasy) capsules and a quantity of cash.
The 18-year-old from Varsity Lakes has been charged with supplying dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing anything used in the commission of crime and possession of property suspected of being the proceeds of an offence under Drugs Misuse Act. He was released on bail to appear at the Southport Magistrates Court on December 16.
Acting Chief Superintendent Des Lacy said police were committed to providing a safe and drug free environment for young people visiting the Gold Coast for schoolies.
“We have a number of strategies specifically designed to help keep drugs away from schoolies. Some of these include high visibility policing patrols, the checking of IDs and the use of drug detection dogs, as well as covert strategies such as the use of plain clothes police officers.
“Young people, intent on celebrating their accomplishment of finishing 12 years of schooling and about to embark on the next exciting chapter of their lives, need to understand the dangers of taking illicit drugs and that even one tablet, or one time, can kill.
“We are out there to stop drugs getting into schoolie celebrations but we need teenagers to make the right choice too. Don’t risk your future on taking a substance that has undoubtable been mixed and cut with dangerous chemicals. It is a game of Russian roulette that only has one loser,” Acting Chief Superintendent Lacy said.
