May 11, 2018
Kingaroy police have uncovered a large-scale illicit alcohol operation in Nanango that has allegedly been running for 16 years.
Kingaroy CIB executed a search warrant at a D’Aguilar Highway residence on Thursday.
They allegedly located large-scale home brewing equipment consisting of five 2-litre barrels which were fermenting and a further 40 x 750ml bottles of alcohol in various flavours already brewed and bottled.
A further 40 litres of flavoured alcohol were in various plastic buckets.
Officer-in-charge of Kingaroy Police, Senior Sergeant Dave Tierney, said police seized 107 exhibits and about 188 litres of alcohol.
Also seized were a 70kg drum of dextrose, a steel still and associated pipework and flavours.
A 43-year-old Nanango woman was arrested.
She allegedly told police she had been supplying alcohol to people in the Nanango area for about 16 years in exchange for work on her property.
During the search, police also allegedly located a small quantity of cannabis and drug utensils in the possession of a 47-year-old Nanango man.
Both people will appear in the Nanango Magistrates Court on June 7.
The woman has been charged with selling liquor without a permit and the man charged with possessing a dangerous drug and drug utensils.
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Snr Sgt Tierney said while it was not illegal to brew beer at home, it was illegal for an individual to sell alcohol – or barter it in exchange for a benefit or services – without a liquor licence.
It was also illegal to distil spirits without an excise manufacturer’s licence.
Excise duty must also be paid on all spirits distilled.
It is not illegal to own a still of five litres or less, but only if it is not being used to distil alcohol.
Permission must be sought from the Australian Taxation Office to manufacture, move, set-up, sell, buy, import or possess any still over five litres in capacity.
