COPS BUST 73 AT BIG DANCE PARTY

A record number of party goers have been arrested for drugs at one of
Melbourne's biggest summer dance parties.

Police arrested 73 people for drug-related offences in the first few hours
of the Kiss My Grass music festival at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl
yesterday.

Ecstasy, speed and marijuana were among drugs found on patrons.

Sniffer dogs were credited with helping nab most of the offenders.

"There is always a possibility that there will be drug-related arrests at
an event like this," police spokesman Glen Atwell said.

"But to catch this many was certainly a surprise for police on the ground.

"The dog squad was really working hard and uniform members had an
extremely busy time."

He said a number of people had been arrested for carrying a substantial
amount of ecstasy pills.

Those suspected of carrying drugs were barrelled into police vans and
questioned. Most were charged on summons.

Sniffer dogs were also used at the much-hyped New Year's party Sensation.

More than 40,000 people attended the Telstra Dome spectacle but
drug-arrests were minimal.

Police have warned the crackdown will continue at similar events,
including the DefCon Music Festival at Birrarung Marr on February 7 and
the Future Music Festival in March.

Despite the arrests Metropolitan Ambulance Service spokesman Ray Rowe said
there were no overdoses.

More than 50 DJs entertained a mostly well-behaved crowd at yesterday's
festival, a promotional event for a Melbourne radio station.