NEWS
Man jailed after biting cop
Cannabis bound for Arnhem Land seized at airport POLICE seized 232 grams of cannabis after screening passengers due to fly out from Darwin to a remote community in the Arnhem Land region on December 18. Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Schiller said drug detection dog Nugget gave a positive reaction to a 31-year-old man. “The man handed over three small deal bags to police before a brief search uncovered a further five wrapped packages that police have alleged contained cannabis. “Nugget earned himself an early Christmas present, and it was a timely reminder that police do not tolerate the transportation of cannabis for profit into remote communities.” Detective Senior Sergeant Schiller said the drugs had the potential to be sold for over $23,000. The man has been charged with possessing a trafficable quantity of cannabis.
<< From Page 1 Hospital staff ran over to help the officer subdue the assailant on the ground, and then assisted as he was placed inside the police vehicle. The man was then taken back to the police station, where more charges were laid including attempting to escape custody and assault causing harm. Senior Sergeant Brendan Muldoon said the offender had fed police a series of false names during his time in lock-up, and was kept in custody for two days as police worked to determine his identity. “When we learned the man’s identity, it came to light he was already wanted on an outstanding warrant, for charges including previously attempting to escape custody,” Sgt Muldoon said. The man faced trial in Darwin Magistrate’s Court on January 3, where he received three months’ jail time for a range of offences including matters dating back up to two years ago.
Nugget the sniffer dog hard at work.
Boat crew battles bushfire on island By ZOE WALKER PROMPT action by a professional fisherman and his crew has prevented a bushfire from causing serious ecological damage on Marchindar Island in Burston Bay, 70 nautical miles due north of Gove. A potentially-devastating bushfire broke out in the area on December 31, when Bruce Davey, a professional fisherman aboard the fishing vessel named Wildcard, saw the fire and, with the help of his crew, spent about six hours putting it out. Luckily no one was injured. According to Mr Davey, the fire covered an area of about 200 metres by 150 metres, and appeared to have started due to someone failing to extinguish a campfire. The crew aboard the Wildcard carried about 1000 litres of seawater and one tonne of sand in order to put the fire out. Mr Davey said his fishing vessel served as “the eyes and the ears” for such a remote region, and him and his crew therefore felt that they had an “environmental responsibility” to put the fire out. Mr Davey explained how such a fire could have had devastating effects on these islands with their “unique coastal systems”. He said due to such an unusually late wet season, the land remained extremely dry, making it particularly vulnerable to fires. If a large fire was to start anywhere in East Arnhemland the inevitable rain which comes afterwards would wash away precious topsoil and prevent plant regrowth. Mr Davey said this fire was “a timely reminder for people going out bush to just make sure campfires were fully extinguished and not closely surrounded by bush.” The crew members aboard Wildcard were named as the Northern Territory Environmentalists of the Year in 2011.
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Garuda flights in the wings AN INDONESIAN airline will send a team to the Northern Territory early this year to examine the case for the resumption of commercial flights into Darwin. Chief Minister Terry Mills and Business Minister Peter Chandler met with Garuda Airline’s president and Chief Executive Officer Emir Satar at the airline’s headquarters in Jakarta to discuss opportunities for the resumption of air services between Indonesia and the Territory. “It’s no secret the Northern Territory Government wants Garuda to return to Darwin, the challenge now is persuading airline executives there is a sound business case to do so,” Mr Mills said.
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Arafura Times
9 - 15 January 2013 – 5