A large dance party near Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens was shut down overnight following a police crackdown on illicit drugs which saw 26 revellers arrested. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that police officers with drug detection dogs raided the harbourside ‘Azure V party' at Fleet Steps on Mrs Macquaries Road where they allegedly found partygoers in possession of MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, speed, GBH and cannabis. The dance party's website, run by iRIS Group Productions, said more than 5000 people - including some of "Sydney's [and the world's] most buffed and beautiful" - were expected to attend the eight-hour gay and lesbian event. But the party was shut down at 9pm following the raid, which police said was part of an ongoing operation targeting drug use and supply in The Rocks Local Area Command. Forty charges involving drug supply and possession were laid against the 26 people arrested at the Azure V party. Nine of the those people were allegedly detected with traffickable amounts of illicit drugs. Police said they held concerns for other patrons following the large number of drug-related arrests and sought permission from a magistrate to close the party. Ref: Sydney Morning Herald (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 26th February 2007 - 12:00pm