54 offenders implicated with drug possession and trafficking were arrested at Rainbow Serpent Festival, with Inspector Dan Davidson stating police have not seen illicit behaviour so blatantly displayed at the event before.
Police have raised suspicions the regional Victoria festival has been ‘hijacked’ by organised drug syndicates, with festival organiser Tim Harvey saying it is obviously a concerning situation however, this is not unique to this specific festival.
Festival organisers have worked closely with police trying to combat the issue, with Harvey continuing on to say “they are waiting...for governments around Australia to start to seriously working with them, and experts, to implement proper evidence-based policy they feel will reduce harms.”