Wangaratta police have assisted in a major North East drug bust, after officers seized more than 40kg of cocaine following an intercept on the Hume Freeway on Wednesday afternoon.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said Wangaratta and Wodonga Highway Patrol officers pulled over a B-Double truck just outside Barnawartha around 3:45pm.
A search of the truck by highway patrol members, assisted by specialist VIPER Taskforce members who were in the area at the time, revealed a number of hidden packages alleged to be cocaine, as well as a small amount of meth.
The driver, a 40-year-old Windsor NSW man, was also alleged to have tested positive to drugs prior to the search.
The man was interviewed by police and subsequently charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of cocaine and possessing methylamphetamine.
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Police said it’s believed the truck was travelling between Sydney and Melbourne.
Eastern Region Inspector Tracy Johnston said Wednesday’s seizure was a great result for the force as it removed a driver putting other road users at risk and also seized a significant amount of drugs that could have caused immense harm in the community.
“We see a significant amount of road trauma attributed to the use of illicit drugs and we will never know what might have been avoided simply as a result of this intercept," she said.
“Victoria Police has zero tolerance for those involved in the trafficking of drugs and I urge anyone with information about this activity to contact police or Crime Stoppers.”
The 40-year-old appeared at Wodonga Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and was remanded to appear again on 20 November.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information about illicit drug activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
