The controversy surrounding Future Music Festival just keeps getting worse. Last year in Malaysia, the third day of the festival was cancelled due to a drug-related death. The number of victims connected to the festival was disputed, as there were up to 6 alleged deaths connected to the event. Just last week, Future Music Festival Asia was reported to likely be cancelled due to the deaths last year in Malaysia. The event has now seen its permits be denied twice by officials and despite the assurances of the event’s organizers, it looks like it won’t be taking place. The festival seems to have its slim chances further reduced with recent news out of Australia, as $500,000 worth of drugs bound for Future Music Festival has been seized by police.
The $500,000 is an astronomically high figure that includes 7,500 MDMA tablets. The six month investigation, “Operation Mike Order”, resulted in 17 people being charged with over 110 offenses ranging from trafficking to possession. Around $50,000 in cash was also confiscated along with 22 mobile phones. The investigation targeted a network of drug suppliers linked to substances such as cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, methylamphetamines and steroids. Detective Inspector Mark Andrews released a statement yesterday, saying:
Today we have prevented over 7,500 MDMA tablets being consumed at music festivals such as the Future Festival tomorrow, helping to make all Queenslanders safer, in particular our teenagers and young adults.
It’s sad to see the same patterns in the dance music community repeat themselves, especially when it starts to jeopardize events such as Future Music Festival.
Source: The Morning Bulletin
