Qld: Hundreds arrested during blitz

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2009
Qld: Hundreds arrested during blitz

Police have arrested more than 900 people and laid in excess of 11-hundred charges
across Queensland during the two day national blitz on drunken behaviour.

Almost 18-hundred uniformed and plain clothed police roamed Queensland's entertainment
and social hotspots at the weekend .. as part of Operation Unite and a two month Queensland
police campaign called Operation Merit.

Police Minister NEIL ROBERTS says most offences relate to traffic .. with 177 drink-driving
charges and about 780 traffic infringement notices issued.

Deputy Commissioner IAN STEWART says police are disturbed by the large number of arrests.

He says a person was knocked unconscious on Saturday night when hit over the head with
a bottle in Fortitude Valley .. while a party on the Gold Coast was gate-crashed by 300
people.

Operation Merit will continue to target drunken behaviour until the end of January.

AAP RTV peb/ajw

KEYWORD: BLITZ QLD (BRISBANE)

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