SCHOOL STUDENTS STRIP-SEARCHED IN DRUG RAID

EIGHT school students were strip-searched and a regional West Australian
school searched by sniffer dogs during police raids to find marijuana.

No drugs were found on the eight teenagers who were forced to undress
during the raid at a Manjimup home in the state's south-west.

Police with sniffer dogs carried out the search on Thursday after receiving
a tip-off that Manjimup Senior High School students were smoking cannabis
before and after school, spokesman Sergeant Jerry Caruana said.

When they searched the home before school, police found four girls and four
boys aged 14 to 16.

"All students found on the premises were strip searched in accordance with
police guidelines and under the empowerment and authority of the search
warrant," Sgt Caruana said.

"Students were then removed from the house and a police sniffer dog was
taken through the premises."

Sgt Caruana said nothing was found on any of the teenagers, but the
16-year-old boy whose home was searched was likely to be charged over a
quantity of cannabis and smoking implements discovered hidden on the property.

Later in the morning, Manjimup Senior High principal Pat Young gave police
permission to use the sniffer dog to search the school for drugs.

"A smoking implement was found hidden outside on the school grounds," Sgt
Caruana said.

A 15-year-old boy would be charged over the implement, he said.

Angry parents contacted Perth radio stations yesterday to complain about
the strip searches, but neither local police nor Mrs Young received any
complaints.

"I'm not naive enough to say there are no drugs at all in this school, but
I think the whole exercise was vindicated by the fact that they found
none," Mrs Young told AAP.

"It may have upset some people who felt it was inappropriate, but we are
happy to be part of a pro-active anti-drugs campaign."

Earlier this month, police discovered drugs and weapons on children as
young as 10 when they searched three Fremantle schools.

Eleven students aged 10 to 15 were discovered carrying marijuana, smoking
implements or weapons.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski