Geraldton Detectives seize drugs and ammo from bus passenger

Local police have stopped the weed on a bus going ‘round and ‘round Geraldton after a tip-off led to seizure of a big stash of cannabis headed to the city on a bus earlier this week.

At around 2.15pm on Tuesday, Geraldton detectives arrested 39-year-old Joseph Jason Calvin Welch, a passenger on a TransWA bus en route from Perth, and seized 1.5kg of cannabis.

The male was conveyed back to Geraldton Police Station and his house in Mount Tarcoola was later searched where more cannabis, , a “small quantity” of ammunition, and some smoking implements were located and seized.

Mr Welch appeared in Geraldton Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, charged with possessing a prohibited drug, possession of prohibited drugs with intent to sell or supply, being an unlicensed person in possession of ammunition, and possessing drug paraphernalia on which there was a prohibited drug or plant.

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He has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear on August 9.

A police spokesperson said the arrest was a testament to the co-operation of the community and the effectiveness of Crime Stoppers.

“This highlights how fantastic some of the information is that we get from Crime Stoppers, that we will use in a timely manner to ensure drugs don’t enter the community,” they said.

“That cannabis, no doubt, was bound for Geraldton, and now it’s off the streets and it will be destroyed.”