Car park arrest at Maryborough Correctional Centre
- QCS Intel Officers identified cause for targeted search of visitor vehicle
- Multiple items including drugs, weapons and licence plates located
- Two people arrested by QPS
An intelligence-led operation at Maryborough Correctional Centre has taken a substantial haul of drugs, weapons and other illegal items off the streets with two people arrested in the centre car park last week (22 May).
Queensland Corrective Services' (QCS) Intelligence and Dog Squad officers conducted an intel-based targeted search of a vehicle in the correctional centre visitor carpark and located multiple prohibited items, including two homemade firearms, a machete and axe, large quantities of cash, multiple licence plates, illicit substances, prescription medication and other drug paraphernalia.
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) subsequently arrested a 24-year-old man and 20-year-old woman and charged them with various offences including unlawful possess weapon, receive tainted property, possess dangerous drugs, unlawful possess suspected stolen property, possess knife in public, possess explosives, possess property suspected of having been used in a drug offence and other offences.
Both are due to appear in court next month.
Chief Superintendent John Owens, General Manager, Maryborough Correctional Centre praised the work of QCS' Intelligence Officers together with the Dog Squad and QPS.
"On behalf of the wider community, we are very grateful for the commitment and expertise of our Intelligence Officers to raise the alert and, alongside our highly skilled QCS Dog Squad unit, to professionally manage this incident and work with our QPS colleagues to bring it to a successful outcome," Chief Superintendent Owens said.
"The QCS Intel teams are the unseen eyes and ears of our centres, but they are also committed to following the intelligence to make the communities where we live and work safer for all Queenslanders.
"Contraband has no place anywhere near our facilities, including in our car parks, and we are glad to have helped QPS get these items off the streets."
Wide Bay Criminal Investigation Branch Senior Sergeant Steve Watts said this arrest was a timely reminder.
"This arrest should send a strong message to those in the community who are considering criminal activities in the vicinity of correctional facilities, that they will be discovered and held to account," he said.
