Police have charged six people with drug-related offences during a police drug dog operation at the Secret Garden Music Festival near Camden.
The operation started yesterday (Friday, February 27) on the first day of the festival, which is being held on Brownlow Hill Loop Road, just past the township of Cobbitty.
Over 2500 people attended yesterday, with the same number of people expected to attend today.
Police from Camden Local Area Command, the South West Metropolitan Region, and the Dog Unit conducted 75 person searches.
There were a total of 11 alleged drug detections for MDMA (ecstasy), cocaine and cannabis.
Six people were served with field court attendance notices for a total of seven charges.
Police also issued five cannabis cautions to revellers.
Camden Local Area Commander, Detective Superintendent Ward Hanson, warned revellers police would again be out in force.
“The police operation will continue at the festival today, with a specific focus on drug offences,” Det Supt Hanson said.
“Music festival patrons are reminded that there is no such thing as a safe party drug; they are manufactured by criminals who have no idea of what they are making. It has been witnessed many times over, ingesting these drugs can lead to overdose and in extreme cases death,” he said.
“Partygoers also need to know that the festival is a licensed event, and bringing in alcohol is strictly prohibited. Yesterday police and security seized several hundred bottles of alcohol,” Det Supt Hanson said.
