[ 12 June, 2012; 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. ] A Canberra Skeptics Event

Venue: Lecture Theatre, CSIRO Discovery Centre, Clunies Ross Street, Acton,
ACT 2601

Members Free/Non-Members Gold Coin Donation

The topic of illicit drugs in Australia is a topic that attracts continued controversy.  Some argue that drug policy should continue to remain based on the principle of prohibition while others argue that such prohibition should be repealed.

Canberra [...]

Those of you who took an interest in the drug trial of Cong Tan Tran will be thrilled to know we now have the result of his drug possession trial:
7. Accepting that the offender has overcome his need for prohibited drugs, I think that it is appropriate that I allow [...]

Acting Justice Neild has shared his thoughts on another case. This time the trial of one Cong Tan Tran pulled over in Gungahlin for want of a hands free kit in his car and found to have quite a laundry list of illegal drugs upon his person.
Interestingly though the prosecution appears to have fallen over [...]

Members from City Station seized substances suspected to be drugs, drug paraphernalia and money after executing an emergency search of a vehicle in Lyneham this morning (Sunday, April 22).
About 12.30am general duty officers observed a man in a stationary vehicle in a Lyneham carpark. Upon speaking to the man, they saw what appeared to be [...]

A 23-year-old Kambah man wanted for an assault and other offences was arrested by police this afternoon (Friday, April 13).
Around 3.10pm members from ACT Policing’s Crime Targeting Team arrested the 23-year-old man after he was seen by detectives walking along Heard Street in Mawson.
During a search of the man after his arrest, police located two [...]

Members from ACT Policing’s Drug Investigation Team have seized a quantity of illicit substances after a search warrant was executed at a home in Evatt yesterday afternoon (27 March).
During the warrant, police located and seized a quantity of an illicit substance suspected to be heroin and three cannabis plants. The combined street value of the [...]

Members from ACT Policing’s Drug Investigation Team executed search warrants in Canberra’s north yesterday afternoon (Thursday, March 23) where a number of items were seized.
Just after midday police executed the first warrant on a vehicle in Lyneham. During the warrant police seized a quantity of an illicit substance suspected to be methylamphetamine.
Other warrants were executed [...]

Members from ACT Policing’s Drug Investigation Team have seized a quantity of illicit substances after a search warrant was executed on a vehicle in Dickson yesterday afternoon (20 March).
During the warrant, police located and seized a quantity of an illicit substance suspected to be heroin, with an estimated street value of $3,000. Also seized during [...]

A 32-year-old woman from Franklin will face the ACT Magistrates Court today (Friday, February 24) charged with drug trafficking.
ACT Policing’s Drug Investigation Team executed a search warrant at the Franklin home yesterday afternoon following a six month investigation.
During the search police located and seized an amount of money, approximately 30 grams of cannabis, 11 pipes [...]

ACT Policing’s Criminal Investigations arrested a 32-year-old man from Ngunnawal yesterday morning (Friday, February 10).
About 5.20am police executed a search warrant on the premises and seized a large sum of money, four unregistered firearms and property suspected to be stolen.
Police also seized various substances suspected to be cannabis, MDMA, LSD, amphetamines, steroids, valium and other [...]

ACT Policing’s Criminal Investigation’s Drug Team arrested a 39-year-old man from Theodore yesterday afternoon (Thursday, January 19).
Around 6.45pm police executed a search warrant on a house in Theodore. During the search police seized 8 grams of white powder suspected to be cocaine and around 100 tablets suspected of being MDMA and three vials of steroids.
Police [...]

At lunch today, near the Merry-go-round in Civic, I happened across a petition calling for a debate on the legalisation of illicit drugs.
They seem to have gathered quite a few signatures so far, which i was assured won’t go onto some type of police database!
Anyone wanting to help lose the War on Drugs should get on down there [...]

ACT Policing arrested a man and woman overnight on drug charges following the execution of two drug warrants (Friday, September 30).
Detectives from the Drug Investigations Team executed the first warrant on a Gowrie home about 9pm last night. Police seized drugs suspected of being methyl amphetamine, pills suspected of being MDMA and an amount of [...]

ACT Policing officers have seized a quantity of illicit substances and cash after a search warrant was executed on a house in McKellar on Sunday (18 September).
Officers from City and Belconnen general duties entered the McKellar house around 3pm, allegedly locating heroin, electronic scales and an amount of cash.
The potential street value for the seized [...]

ACT Policing is issuing a warning to the public that medication stolen from a Lyneham veterinary hospital is potentially fatal to humans.
Around 2.30am this morning (Thursday, 1 September) police attended the Lyneham Veterinary Hospital in response to a burglary at the premises.
CCTV footage shows two offenders entering the main foyer and going to the storeroom [...]

ACT Policing has arrested a 21-year-old Monash man after executing a search warrant yesterday afternoon (Friday, August 26).
Police executed the search warrant on a residence in Monash where they seized a quantity of illicit drugs.
The man was arrested at the completion of the warrant and conveyed to the ACT Watch House. He has [...]

Last Night’s Four Corners was must see viewing for anyone who thinks about how to watch the watchmen.
It’s about how the head of the NSW Crime Commission was trying to import massive amounts of chemicals into Australia for the production of amphetamines.
The AFP do not come out of it smelling entirely of roses with at [...]

I’m putting together a business plan for my crime gang and still have some unanswered questions. A brief read of “The Illicit Drug Data Report (IDDR) 2009–10” has forced me to change my plans.
Originally I thought Pot was a good choice as it didn’t require a gun and the minion’s might be pleasantly useful. [...]

A 21-year-old Forde man was arrested and charged overnight by police for drug trafficking.
Criminal Investigations detectives executed a search warrant at the man’s house around 3.30pm yesterday (Thursday, August 4), and seized over 700 pills suspected to be MDMA and some cannabis. An amount of cash was also seized during the search warrant.
The potential street [...]

The ABC reports that a 54 year old youth worker has been charged with supplying kids at the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre with weed.
Community Services Minister Joy Burch says the man was charged after Bimberi management contacted police.
“It shows that we have some robust systems at Bimberi and unusual and untoward behaviour is noticed,” [...]

ACT Policing yesterday (Thursday, July 14) arrested a 30-year-old Oaks Estate man on charges of forgery and using a false document contrary to Sections 346 and 347 of the Criminal Code 2002.
Police will allege the man had been producing fraudulent medical prescriptions and presenting them to pharmacies.
A search warrant had been executed on the man’s [...]

The Canberra Times reports that well known identity in Canberra business circles, John Harrington, was the subject of Wednesday’s intricate police operation with substituted substance importation.
But it seems he is not well pleased by the hospitality on offer from ACT Corrections while he is held on remand.
Defence lawyer Kamy Saeedi said there would be no [...]

A 24-year-old Griffith man was arrested overnight after police found a hydroponics setup and cannabis at his house.
About 10.35pm last night (Wednesday, July 6), police attended the man’s house in response to a noise complaint. After being admitted to the residence and speaking with the man, police observed an amount of drug paraphernalia, including [...]

ACT Policing have arrested a 59-year-old Canberra businessman from Griffith for drug offences yesterday (Wednesday, 6 July).
On July 6 ACT Policing’s Criminal Investigations concluded a controlled operation on the importation of an illegal substance, in which police put in place a substitute material.
About 7pm yesterday members of the SRS Tactical Response team executed forced [...]

Chief Minister Gallagher has announced her response to the controversial Burnet report into drugs at the prison.
“There are no recommendations which the government has rejected in its final response. The Government has responded to each recommendation from the report along with anticipated timelines for completion of supported recommendations.
“The Government has agreed to 20 of [...]

The AFP have an intriguing tale of a 33 year old Fadden man who appears to have failed in his calling as a stick-man.
A 33-year-old Fadden, ACT man and a 25-year-old Mosman, NSW man will appear in Waverley Local Court today after being charged by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) with offences relating to fraudulent [...]

The Canberra Times has a story on one Marko Ljubic who’s been in court after being caught at work in the ATO’s Civic offices with some unusual items in his desk.
Ljubic, of Fadden, was taken into custody during an alleged drug sting when police stopped a car in Mitchell. Police said he had six clip-seal [...]

ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to a robbery which occurred last night (Friday, May 13) at the Colbee Court Pharmacy in Phillip.
Around 8.00pm the offender entered the pharmacy and demanded drugs from the staff while making threats. The offender was provided with a quantity of drugs before fleeing.
The offender was last seen running towards [...]

Two men will face court this morning (Friday, April on drug charges after cocaine and amphetamine were seized during consecutive raids in Canberra last night.
The raids were part of an ACT Policing drug trafficking investigation named Operation Vinaka.
About 9:00pm last night Operation Vinaka investigators stopped a vehicle in Mitchell and searched the 22-year-old male [...]

The matrix management nightmare of the ACT Government would be terrible to work for, and is awful to live under. But it is excellent for those at the top seeking to avoid responsibility for their failures.
This could perhaps explain why the Minister for Health has announced the Government’s interim response to the Burnet report rather [...]

Following on from this morning’s release of reviews Simon Corbell is claiming success in prison management on the back of an absence of riots.
But moving forward he has plans:
“The Government always anticipated there would be areas for improvement in the first year of operation at the AMC, and the audit shows that we need to [...]

Simon Corbell’s office have emailed out two reports into the operations of the Monaro Marriot (AKA the Alexander Maconochie Centre) following their tabling in the assembly this morning.
First off the rank is the Hamburger report sometimes known as the “Independent Review of Operations at the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
While finding much to praise it also has [...]