The man, who is from Queensland, Australia, was arrested and sent to jail for possession of crystal meth. However, it ended up being salt. Since it was salt, he was released from jail, but after being detained for four months. He remained locked up while police tested the salt, which they initially suspected to be meth.
The guy’s arrest happened months ago. Police performed a routine check of his vehicle, and that’s when they found the white substance.
When the tests revealed the substance was salt, charges against the man, who has not been identified, were dropped.
Travis George, the man’s lawyer, said that his client has previous criminal convictions, and that may have been the reason why he ended up spending four months behind bars.
John Smith, a Maryborough magistrate, said that there have been delays in forensic testing, and the government needs to look at what they are doing in relation to this.
Queensland’s Health’s Forensic and Scientific Services said there were no delays in forensic testing, and that urgent cases are completed within a time frame that is set by police and the courts.
A spokeswoman for the department said that there are many factors in regards to the time taken to bring a drug case to court.
