A significant cache of drugs believed to have been bound for Future Music Festival Brisbane was seized by Queensland police on Friday. According to a Fairfax report, the anti-bikie squad seized 7,500 ecstasy pills.
Taskforce Maxima detectives seized the drugs as well as $50,000 in cash during a series of raids across Brisbane and on Russell Island last week. Police said the drugs had an approximate street value of half a million dollars, with the distribution linked to the Bandidos bikie gang.
According to Taskforce Maxima Acting Detective Inspector Mark Andrews, intelligence received by Queensland police indicated that the drug ring had been stockpiling pills to sell at Saturday’s Future Music Festival leg at Doomben Racecourse.
Meanwhile, Acting Superintendent Brendan Smith said the drug and cash haul was “no small feat”. “7,500 pills is an indicator of the criminality of this syndicate and their associates, that’s easy money in the scheme of things and we’ve stopped that,” he said.
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“We have seen in recent months a number of people die from taking ecstasy around the country, hopefully we have prevented a death.” Detectives ultimately charged 17 people with 110 largely drug-related offences, ranging from trafficking to possession.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne leg of Future, which took place at Flemington Racecourse on Sunday, saw the drug-related arrests of 52 people. Victoria Police reportedly seized ecstasy, amphetamine, cocaine, and cannabis during a sniffer dog operation.
Of those arrested, 46 were given diversions and six were handed cannabis cautions. This follows a spate of arrests that occurred during the Sydney leg of the popular dance and urban music festival last weekend, with 177 people due to face court on drug charges.
It was also concerns of drug use that recently led to the cancellation of Future Music Festival Asia just a week out from when the event was set to return to Singapore, one year after six people reportedly died from drug overdoses at the festival.
As Channel News Asia reports, promoters have experienced ongoing trouble with securing a public entertainment licence to hold the event, having had their application denied twice. Authorities cited “serious concerns” over potential drug abuse at the event.
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Despite further appeals, the event has been cancelled, with organisers expressing their disappointment on Facebook. “We can confirm that we have received the official rejection of our appeal,” wrote organisers.
“Despite having put in place a robust event, security, safety and medical management plan which has been developed alongside both local and international experts with a combined 50 years of experience in running similar large-scale events, our Public Entertainment License has not been granted.”
“Regarding concerns the authorities may have about the drug-related incidents that took place in Malaysia last year, we reiterate that these were isolated incidents that took place outside Singapore, which cannot and do not carry any implication that FMFA is linked to drug use or drug abuse,” organisers added.
Some 15,000 – 20,000 tickets had reportedly already been sold to the Singapore event, which was slated to feature a lineup including Avicii, The Prodigy, and Fat Boy Slim. Refunds are now available to ticket-holders.
