POLICE uncovered a rich haul when they pulled over a hire car early yesterday.
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They later said they had found drugs valued at about $100,000 when they searched the car in a Wangaratta street.
Leading Sen-Constable Jason Borbidge and Constable Ciaran Duryea, who were patrolling the Hume Freeway, followed a Mistubishi Outlander from the Glenrowan McDonald’s to Wangaratta, before stopping it in Vincent Road about 1am.
Sen-Constable Borbidge said a search of the car under the street’s lights had revealed what he said was a large quantity of ice, speed, GHB and prescription medication.
Sen-Constable Borbidge said the drugs would have a street value of about $100,000.
“It was secreted in the dash, next to the glove box, so it was hidden reasonably well,” Sen-Constable Borbidge said.
He said the drugs had been destined for sale in Wangaratta and it was satisfying that they would not reach the hands of the city’s users.
“It’s good to keep it off the street,” he said.
“Ice is causing a lot of problems at the moment.
“To keep that sort of quantity of drugs out of town will, hopefully, prevent some other trouble.”
The car had been hired in the outer Melbourne suburb of Pakenham.
The car will now be forensically examined.
The drugs will also be tested to determined their quality.
Two people, Wangaratta woman Jessica Short, 23, and a Morwell man, Ioannis Aristidou 33, were later charged with trafficking. They were also charged with possessing and using a drug of dependence.
Short and Aristidou appeared in the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court yesterday afternoon.
They were granted bail to the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court next Wednesday.
