By KELLY REID
AN 18-YEAR-OLD Werribee man was among 22 people arrested during an operation which targeted drug possession and trafficking in and around Melbourne’s CBD.
It is alleged 15 bags of amphetamine, 40 ecstasy tablets and a quantity of GHB were in his possession at the time.
The man has been charged with trafficking and possessing a drug of dependence, and will face court at a later date.
Operation Temporal commenced earlier this year in response to a significant increase in drug overdoses, mainly from the drug GHB.
Nightclubs and car parks in King St and Flinders Lane were targeted by both uniformed and plain-clothed officers.
A majority of the arrests took place on Flinders Lane and in the Flinders St car parks, resulting in17 offenders placed in drug diversion programs.
Director of Clinical Service at ReGen, Donna Ribton-Turner, said that drug diversion programs provide a great opportunity for people who usually don’t access education and treatment services to do so.
“It also ensures that young people who might make an unconsidered decision in relation to drug use are not penalised in the way of legal ramifications that impact disproportionately on their future employment, travel opportunities.”
Senior Sargent Mick Wilmott said operations such as Operation Temporal will continue to run in an effort to stamp out drug use and trafficking within the community.
“These operations have been prepared with the flexibility to allow police to be deployed to specific locations at short notice.
“We will run investigations into any individual or group identified as supplying drugs into the community, whether it be at a club, or any other premises,” he said.
