Two police officers from Darwin have been charged with a raft of drug offences following a police operation yesterday.
Deputy NT Police Commissioner Murray Smalpage said it was an "extremely disappointing day for Northern Territory Police".
A 43-year-old male officer has been charged with supplying a schedule 1 dangerous drug less than a commercial quantity, possessing a traffickable quantity of a schedule 1 dangerous drug, unauthorised possession of a schedule 4 substance, stealing and possessing a firearm while unlicensed and failing to meet storage requirements.
Mr Smalpage said a firearm was allegedly stolen from a police facility.
A 28-year-old female officer has been charged with possessing a schedule 1 drug less than a traffickable quantity and possessing a schedule 2 drug less than a traffickable quantity.
"The drug activities that are alleged to have occurred are between the two police officers, so I wish to reassure the community that it wasn't a police officer distributing the drugs to the wider community," Mr Smalpage said.
"It will further be alleged that at least one of those supply offences occurred while the officers were on duty.
"It will be alleged at least the bulk of drugs were alleged to be cocaine and the male officer was supplying the female officer with the cocaine."
Mr Smalpage wouldn't reveal operational details of the investigation or arrests, but said it is important to set an example to the rest of the police force and wider community.
"This allegation is taken very seriously and police are taking a very strong stance and pulled no punches in taking swift action," he said.
"We are pursuing numerous avenues of where the prohibited drugs are from but I can reassure they are not from police facilities.
"This is not the conduct that we tolerate by anyone, let alone sworn officers whose duty it was to serve and protect the Northern Territory.
"If you're a cocaine dealer in Darwin at the moment, I hope they're not sleeping well in their bed at all."
The male officer was remanded in custody and will appear in the Darwin Local Court on Monday.
The female officer has been released on bail and will appear in court on October 13.
Both have been suspended without pay.
Mr Smalpage said officers are not subject to routine drug tests in the Northern Territory unless they commit a statutory offence.
He now plans to speak with the police minister about future provisions of alcohol and drug testing of police officers.
The matter has been referred to NT ICAC and the NT Ombudsman.
