Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Charges over kava trafficking to remote NT
Northern Territory police have charged a father and son for allegedly trafficking the illegal alcohol substitute kava to a remote Indigenous community.
December 15, 2022
A father and son have been charged with allegedly trafficking the illegal alcohol substitute kava to a remote Indigenous community in the Northern Territory.
Officers intercepted 19kg of the drug, which is an extract made from the root of a pepper plant found in the Pacific Islands, at Darwin Airport on Wednesday.
It was allegedly being transported to Maningrida, 500 km east of Darwin.
A 17 and 53-year-old were later charged with possession and supplying a trafficable quantity of kava, a police spokesman said on Thursday.
“The illegal supply of kava is considered to be very serious offending that has long term financial and social implications on remote communities,” Acting Senior Sergeant Riva Zio said.
Kava is a drug made from the roots of the Piper methysticum plant, according to the Australian Health Department.
It has traditionally been cultivated by Pacific Islanders for use as a social and ceremonial drink and either ground or chewed up and mixed with water or coconut milk.
Kava was introduced to some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the north of Australia in the early 1980s as a substitute for alcohol.
In small doses, the effects of Kava include muscle relaxation, sleepiness and feelings of wellbeing.
Long-term use has been associated with a range of health problems, including kidney, liver damage and skin lesions.