WA police raids FMG’s Cloubreak mine in the Pilbara  

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Image credit: flickr User: Ralf Peter Reimann

West Australia’s police raid on Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) Christmas Creek mine on Tuesday was followed up with another police action on Wednesday morning, this time targeted at FMG’s Cloubreak mine, reports WA Today.

Image credit: flickr User: Ralf Peter Reimann
Image credit: flickr User: Ralf Peter Reimann

The police raid at FMG’s Christmas Creek mine, which was conducted with full cooperation from the company’s management, searched 370 FMG employers and contractors arriving on eights flights from Perth, Port Headland, Karratha, Fitzroy Crossing and Darwin.

According to Perth Now, the police has executed 39 search warrants across all regional and metropolitan police districts in the past three days and forty-five people were charged with a total of 119 drug related offences.

The Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA) issued a statement in support of the raid, commanding the Western Australian Police Force and Fortescue on their coordinated efforts to put an end to the use of illicit drugs in the state’s remote mining sector.

Adertisement

“AMMA commends Fortescue Metals Group and CEO Nev Power for working closely with state police in their wide ranging anti-drug operation, consistent with the resource industry’s zero tolerance approach to illicit drugs on its work sites,” said AMMA chief executive Steve Knott.

“The nature of resource industry work, often involving heavy machinery, gas plants, shipping movements and hot molten metal, highlights why a zero tolerance approach is the only approach to effectively manage and minimise safety risks to employees associated with drugs.”

The raid and Fortescue’s assistance in the police operation was also welcomed by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA CEO Reg Howard-Smith, who said the nature of resource sector operations, with complex equipment and remote locations, means a zero-tolerance policy to drugs is needed.

“There is no greater priority for the resources sector than the health and safety of employees. Everyone has a right to go home safely at the end of the day,” Mr Howard-Smith told ABC.

“If you are impaired by one of these substances while at work you could be putting yourself and your colleagues at serious risk of injury or death. No one wants to work next to someone who is impaired by illicit substances.”

The police has yet to release any details on their raid on FMG’s Cloubreak mine.