Police say drugs found in vehicles at Mount Panorama checkpoint | Bathurst 1000

"We would regard it as a successful operation. They were well-behaved crowds for the most part," Chifley Police District acting commander Bruce Grassick said.

Operation Bathurst 2021, which targeted traffic offences and anti-social behaviour, ran from last Tuesday to Sunday.

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Police conducted 6277 random breath tests, detected 256 exceeding the speed limit offences, issued 568 traffic penalty infringement notices and conducted 154 business inspections during the operation.

The two instances of drugs being found in vehicles trying to enter the race precinct came last Thursday, according to police.

Officers were conducting random vehicle checks at a checkpoint on Barry Gurdon Drive when they say they stopped a gold Nissan Patrol.

They say a drug detection dog searched the vehicle and officers located a bag containing white powder, believed to be cocaine.

The 22-year-old driver was charged with possessing a prohibited drug and was issued a court attendance notice to appear at Bathurst Local Court in January.

He was also given a banning notice from attending the Bathurst 1000 event.

Later the same day, at about 1.50pm, at the same checkpoint, police say a red Holden Colorado was stopped and searched by the drug detection dog.

Officers say they located a bag containing white powder, believed to be cocaine.

The 24-year-old driver was charged with possessing a prohibited drug and was issued a court attendance notice to appear at Bathurst Local Court in January.

He was also given a banning notice from attending the Bathurst 1000 event.

In other notable results from the operation, a 30-year-old woman returned a positive result to a random drug test when she was pulled over in Lambert Street last Wednesday because she wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

She was arrested for secondary testing, which will be sent for further analysis, and was given a notice of prohibition from driving.

In a separate incident, a 29-year-old driver returned a positive result for drugs when stopped in William Street on Friday. He was given a notice of prohibition from driving and a number of defect infringements.

Acting commander Grassick said he wanted to thank Bathurst Regional Council, the SES, NSW Health and all the other agencies that supported the police operation.

"We were very happy with the turnout, very happy with the patronage, and the people who came enjoyed themselves," he said of the Bathurst 1000.

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