Police allege trio left Griffith and landed in Coober Pedy ‘against cross-border directions’ during Covid pandemic
Three people have been arrested at a karaoke bar in Coober Pedy after they allegedly flew into South Australia from New South Wales on a private plane.
South Australian police said the trio were apprehended in the outback town, 846km north of Adelaide, in the early hours of Saturday.
Police alleged that their plane left Griffith, in the NSW Riverina, and landed in Coober Pedy on Thursday, which the force said was “against cross-border directions”.
The trio, flying a Cessna plane, then tried to land in the Northern Territory on Friday but were denied entry because they were from NSW, police said.
They were returned to the outback opal mining town and found by police at a local karaoke bar just after midnight.
The three travellers posed a “risk” to “our vulnerable outback communities”, police said.
A 39-year-old woman, a 21-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man, all from NSW, were arrested and charged with failing to comply with the Emergency Management Act.
The trio were refused bail and will appear in the magistrates court on Monday.
South Australia shut its borders to NSW on Wednesday, although a 100km buffer zone is in place that includes towns such as Broken Hill.
Exemptions exist, such as for returning South Australian residents and people relocating, as well as those escaping domestic violence.
These people must undergo a Covid-19 test on day one, five and 13, self-quarantine for 14 days, and wear a face mask whenever they come into contact with the public.
Meanwhile, in NSW, a man was expected to appear in court on Saturday after he allegedly failed to wear a correctly fitting face mask in Sydney’s east on Friday.
Police allege the 60-year-old man became aggressive when police approached him at a shopping centre in Maroubra and directed him to leave or wear the mask correctly.
Police said the man ran away but was caught by police and arrested. He was charged with not wearing fitted face covering in retail/business premises, intimidating a police officer in execution of duty, and resisting or hindering a police officer in the execution of duty. The Eastlakes man was refused bail to appear at Parramatta bail court on Saturday.
NSW police said they had issued seven $200 infringements for failing to wear a fitted face covering.