Police drug operation at Geraldton Airport, Australia Post uncovers concealed replica gun, prescription drugs

One person will face charges after an operation organised by local police uncovered a replica handgun and illicit drugs in mail and luggage arriving in Geraldton. Officers from the Department of Corrections travelled to Geraldton on Friday, April 28 and partnered with Geraldton police to target illicit drugs, large sums of cash and dangerous goods moved into the city by mail and air. Drug detection officers and police scanned items with X-ray technology and with help from a drug detection dog at the Geraldton Post Office and Geraldton Airport. Officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Russell Hurst said just under 3000 parcels were searched, with one in particular raising alarm bells. “Some items were found at the post office including a replica firearm, which is quite concerning. It could cause some serious harm in the community,” he said. Officers searched luggage from two Qantas flights departing and arriving into Geraldton Airport from Perth, with the Corrections dog detecting one bag on the arriving flight. Sen. Sgt Hurst said police thoroughly searched the bag and found some “suspicious items”, including prescription medication. Police will issue the man, who is in his 30s and from Perth, a summons to court for a drug-related offence, namely possessing a prescribed drug without a prescription. Sen. Sgt Hurst said intelligence in the past had shown drugs were transported into the community in the mail and flight luggage, but no intelligence was used in this particular instance. “Our partnership with Department of Corrections is really important, having that asset available to us as we need, when we need is really important,” he said. “Having that extra search capacity to help us to go through bags, go through luggage, mail, and all that sort of stuff is fantastic.” Sen. Sgt Hurst said illicit drugs, along with alcohol, were contributing to harm in the community and the operation was one way to tackle drug use in the community. “Working with some of the key stakeholders within our community to tackle and disrupt the drug distribution and drug use within the community, our total focus is reducing harm and gathering some intelligence on what’s happening around town and trying to make sure that the community is safe.”