mrephedrine69
Bluelighter
POLICE locked down Fortitude Valley late last night with a string of drug raids on some of Brisbane's most popular nightclubs.
Dozens of people were charged as a drug-sniffing dog was randomly run past the lines of mostly young people waiting to enter the clubs about 11pm.
The operation -- involving almost 100 police and named Black Dog 2 -- targeted cannabis, MDMA (ecstasy) and amphetamines. Men and women suspected of possessing drugs were questioned and then made to stand with their hands against walls and legs apart while they were searched.
In April, a similar raid on four Valley nightclubs saw police arrest 13 people and seize almost 120 ecstasy tablets, as well as quantities of amphetamines and cannabis.
"We've identified that there is a drug problem in the Fortitude Valley area, so this is part of an ongoing strategy we have to combat illicit drugs in nightclubs," he said.
"It's a multi-pronged operation targeting drug offences, public order offences and traffic offences in the Valley entertainment precinct.
"We are utilizing the drug detection dogs and there's been a number of indications regarding drug use, a number of arrests have been made.
"It's a very busy night in the Valley, there's a lot of people out and really what we're all about is providing a safe environment for people to enjoy themselves."
Carseldine student, Andrew Gregg, 19, was searched but later released. "They are doing their job, they are trying to reduce the amount of drugs in the Valley," he said.
Brisbane student Eun Seo, 30, was "embarrassed' after being frisked by police. "I didn't do anything wrong and they made me feel like a criminal," she said.
"I just came to have a good time with my friend and this has ruined my night."
At the time of the April raid, Premier Peter Beattie warned that raid was "only the beginning" of a concerted effort to rid Brisbane's premier night-time entertainment district of drugs.
That raid -- the first of its kind under new laws allowing drug-sniffing dogs to be used in public -- sparked an outcry for "publicly humiliating" innocent people rather than targeting the drug trade's major players.
But Mr Beattie said the Government fully supported the use of drug-sniffing dogs. "If you don't use illegal drugs you haven't got a problem," he said.
"The police get 10 out of 10, from my point of view."
Taken from: http://www.news.com.au/sundaymail/story/0,23739,20584262-952,00.html
All I can say is thank goodness I went out Friday night and not last night.
Dozens of people were charged as a drug-sniffing dog was randomly run past the lines of mostly young people waiting to enter the clubs about 11pm.
The operation -- involving almost 100 police and named Black Dog 2 -- targeted cannabis, MDMA (ecstasy) and amphetamines. Men and women suspected of possessing drugs were questioned and then made to stand with their hands against walls and legs apart while they were searched.
In April, a similar raid on four Valley nightclubs saw police arrest 13 people and seize almost 120 ecstasy tablets, as well as quantities of amphetamines and cannabis.
"We've identified that there is a drug problem in the Fortitude Valley area, so this is part of an ongoing strategy we have to combat illicit drugs in nightclubs," he said.
"It's a multi-pronged operation targeting drug offences, public order offences and traffic offences in the Valley entertainment precinct.
"We are utilizing the drug detection dogs and there's been a number of indications regarding drug use, a number of arrests have been made.
"It's a very busy night in the Valley, there's a lot of people out and really what we're all about is providing a safe environment for people to enjoy themselves."
Carseldine student, Andrew Gregg, 19, was searched but later released. "They are doing their job, they are trying to reduce the amount of drugs in the Valley," he said.
Brisbane student Eun Seo, 30, was "embarrassed' after being frisked by police. "I didn't do anything wrong and they made me feel like a criminal," she said.
"I just came to have a good time with my friend and this has ruined my night."
At the time of the April raid, Premier Peter Beattie warned that raid was "only the beginning" of a concerted effort to rid Brisbane's premier night-time entertainment district of drugs.
That raid -- the first of its kind under new laws allowing drug-sniffing dogs to be used in public -- sparked an outcry for "publicly humiliating" innocent people rather than targeting the drug trade's major players.
But Mr Beattie said the Government fully supported the use of drug-sniffing dogs. "If you don't use illegal drugs you haven't got a problem," he said.
"The police get 10 out of 10, from my point of view."
Taken from: http://www.news.com.au/sundaymail/story/0,23739,20584262-952,00.html
All I can say is thank goodness I went out Friday night and not last night.



