Police find meth hidden inside McMuffin during Broome traffic stop
Police in Western Australia have released footage of the moment they allegedly discovered a ziplock bag of methylamphetamine hidden inside a McDonald's McMuffin during a traffic stop in Broome.
The video shows officers conducting a traffic stop at Cable Beach, where they rummaged through a fast-food bag containing items from several outlets before pulling out a breakfast sandwich. Upon pulling the McMuffin apart, they found small ziplock bags filled with white powder, which they said was methylamphetamine.
The 39-year-old Derby man driving the vehicle was arrested on August 20 and charged with possession of a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply.
Detective Senior Sergeant Trisha Stjepic said people were becoming more creative in hiding illicit substances.
"A fast-food item is a first, but hiding drugs inside the vehicle we found a lot more common recently," she said. "People are being more cautious and drugs aren't being left out in the open."
Senior Sergeant Stjepic said thorough searches should be conducted during all traffic stops and that people went to extensive lengths to conceal items, including hiding drugs in a rubbish bag in a car's boot.
"When you're conducting searches under the Misuse of Drugs Acts, you obviously have to search the whole vehicle," she said. "At times it can be awkward searching through people's food."
In a separate incident, police also charged a 21-year-old man after allegedly finding cannabis, methylamphetamine and a knife in his possession at a fast-food outlet on August 29. Police allege he travelled 2,080 kilometres from Perth to sell and supply drugs in Broome.
Both men are due to appear in court later this month.
Senior Constable Ben Lucas discussed the McMuffin discovery on the WA Police Confidential podcast, describing a targeted drug operation in Salleh Street, Cable Beach, at about 2.10pm on August 20.
"The search of this vehicle was commenced and a bag of hot, fresh, Chicken Treat was located between the rear flood behind the drivers and passenger seats of the vehicle," Snr Const Lucas said.
"At the bottom, was a cold, discarded McMuffin that had been secreted at the bottom of the bag. That obviously drew our attention," he said. "When it was unwrapped it was found to contain that clip seal bag that contained the methamphetamine."
Asked whether it was one of the weirdest places he had found meth, the constable said: "Yeah, it caught us all by surprise."
The drugs were concealed between egg and cheese inside the McMuffin, as described by police.
A WA Police spokesman confirmed the charge against the 39-year-old man, who is due to appear before the Derby Magistrates Court on September 17.