During a routine traffic stop, police discovered a large stash of ‘sly grog’ worth thousands of dollars.
Countless bottles of Midori, Vodka O, Bundaberg, and Jim Beam, as well as over 600 cans of Emu Export beer and many cans of alcoholic ginger beer, were seized by officers.
Just after 7 p.m. on Friday, a Toyota Tarago driver was pulled over about 5 kilometers outside of Fitzroy Crossing on Western Australia’s Great Northern Highway.
Officers discovered the large stockpile during a search of the vehicle after the 39-year-old lady passed a random breath test.
Police seized the booze in accordance with the Liquor Control Act and liquor control rules (sly grogging).
To prevent bootleggers from selling alcohol to ‘dry’ Aboriginal settlements, the state government imposed limits on the amount of alcohol allowed in cars in 2020.
The regulation, which applies to the Kimberley region’s 42,000 square kilometers, permits authorities to punish anyone who has questionable amounts of liquor in their vehicle.
The woman was charged with ‘carrying a type of liquor in an amount that exceeded the permissible quantity in a defined territory of the state.’
On June 21, she will appear in the Fitzroy Crossing Magistrates Court.
Operation Regional Shield is a taskforce committed to fighting crime in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.
The crackdown would continue, according to Assistant WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch, because of the impact alcohol has on families, particularly those who have experienced domestic abuse.
He told 6PR radio that officers would continue to be on the watch for anyone bringing big amounts of alcohol into places where alcohol is not sold for takeout.
‘Get a load of this: 22 cartons of Emu Export, 17 one-litre bottles of Bundaberg Rum, eight one-litre bottles of Jim Beam… the list goes on and on,’ he claimed.
‘The photo with the two very proud smiling police officers was very, very amazing because we’re quite strong on the sly grogging… because we know the pain and destruction that booze can cause, particularly in the context of family domestic violence and family dysfunction,’ says the officer.
When questioned if the 39-year-old lady intended to resell the booze in rural areas for a profit, the assistant commissioner said no.
‘That’s exactly what we suspect in this case; it’s before the courts now, and she’s been charged.’ But that isn’t an exceptional occurrence,’ he explained.
‘They go to places where they can get that alcohol in great numbers, then go to places where they can’t buy those enormous quantities, then sell it to the community at a much higher price, which only adds to the damage.’
Commissioner Blanch explained that the crackdown was intended to safeguard the community from the consequences of major crimes stemming from excessive alcohol consumption.
He also crushed the hearts of all drinkers by confirming that the alcohol will be wasted rather than used for a police department party.
‘That rumor that cops would utilize that booze is constantly out there, but it does go down the drain,’ he said. ‘Unfortunately, we are going to have to destroy it.’
It also followed up from continuous concerns about unlawful sales, with cartons of beer selling for up to $200 at Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek.
More than 200 isolated communities in the towns have been alcohol-free for the past decade, thanks to indigenous elders’ command.
Sly groggers, on the other hand, continue to elude officials and smuggle alcohol into one of the dry towns.
In March 2020, WA Police made a decision to restrict the sale of alcohol, allowing customers to buy only one carton of beer and three bottles of wine every day.
Takeaway liquor with an alcohol level of 6% or higher cannot be sold in containers larger than one litre across the Kimberley region.
Beer cannot be sold in bottles larger than 400ml.
A $2,000 punishment is imposed for bringing or possessing liquor in the restricted region.