Second man arrested at popular festival

A second man has been charged for allegedly trafficking drugs into the Beyond the Valley music festival, after efforts were ramped up to conduct pill testing for festival goers.

Victoria Police allege a 27-year-old Rippleside man was searched at the festival at about 5.25pm on Monday.

Officers allegedly seized 27g of cocaine and 15g of ketamine.

The man has since been charged with trafficking cocaine and ketamine, and was bailed to appear in Geelong Magistrates’ Court on March 12.

It came a few hours after police searched a 28-year-old South Yarra man at the Barunah Plains festival about 1.45pm on Monday.

Police will allege officers seized 17 MDMA pills, four grams of cocaine, and seven other pills believed to be drugs of dependence.

The man has been charged with trafficking cocaine and MDMA.

He is also set to appear before the Geelong Magistrates’ Court on March 12.

The arrest comes as festivalgoers were given the chance to have their pills tested in a Victorian-first event.

In a statement, police said they were aware of drug-checking places operating at the festival but will continue patrol crowds.

“This will include officers patrolling the festival grounds to ensure safety and security of festival goers and deter any criminal activity or anti-social behaviour,” Victoria Police stated.

“Under the new legislation, it is not a criminal offence to possess small amounts of illicit drugs if you are attending a drug-checking place as a client.

“As a result, officers will not be attending these sites unless responding to incidents requiring police attendance.

“Police will continue to enforce against drug offences away from the drug-checking place and seize any illicit substances. As always, police may use discretion to not enforce possession offences.

“Victoria Police has zero tolerance for drug traffickers and officers will have no hesitation arresting and charging someone for this offence, no matter where it occurs.”

It comes after a man was hospitalised in an apparent drug overdose at the same music festival in regional Victoria, only days into the state’s pill-testing trial.

NewsWire is not suggesting the overdose and the charges laid against the man are linked.

A reveller reported feeling unwell at about 5pm on Saturday at the multi-day festival, which is held in Barunah Plains, about 45km west of Geelong.

The man, aged in his 20s, was transported to Geelong Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

He has since been discharged from hospital.

The suspected overdose came only days into the Victorian government’s 18-month pill testing trial, slated to run throughout the summer music festival season.

The drug testing is confidential and anonymous, so it is not known if the man used the service.

A spokesman for the Victorian government wished the man “all the best in his recovery” and urged attendees to take extra precaution when at festivals by using the pill testing service.

“This is a timely reminder that young people need a place to get real health advice at music festivals, without any judgement – that’s what pill testing is about,” the spokesman told NewsWire.

“No one is ever told any illegal drug is safe, but they might get the advice they need that could save their life.”

The Victorian government announced in November that it would launch a pill testing trial – the first of its kind in the state – beginning with Beyond the Valley.

The mobile testing service will attend 10 festivals and events across the state in total, offering confidential testing and personalised information for attendees.

It is currently the largest pill testing trial in the country, with up to 200 samples tested daily; the festival is expected to alert attendees if any potentially dangerous substances have been detected.

NewsWire understands no warnings have been issued as of close of service on Sunday.

Beyond the Valley has been contacted for comment.