Police in Western Australia have charged a 39-year-old man after finding methamphetamine hidden inside a bacon and egg McMuffin during a vehicle stop in Broome.
Officers from the Broome Detective Office pulled over the driver on Salleh Street in Cable Beach at 2.10pm on August 20. The vehicle had been spotted leaving a home that was under surveillance as part of an active police operation targeting illicit drugs in the region.
During a routine inspection of the vehicle, officers located a takeaway bag on the rear floor between the front seats. Body-cam footage recorded during the search showed an officer sifting through a Chicken Treat takeaway bag, removing leftover chips before discovering the discarded sandwich at the bottom.
Senior Constable Ben Lucas told the WA Police Confidential podcast that the sandwich had already been bitten into when officers examined it. Hidden between the bacon and egg was a clip-sealed bag containing approximately three and a half grams of methamphetamine.
Senior Constable Lucas described the concealment method as one of the most unusual discoveries of his policing career. He stated that finding illicit drugs inside a half-eaten breakfast item caught the investigating officers completely by surprise.
Concealment in takeaway food
Detective Senior Sergeant Trisha Stjepic said the incident marked the first time local officers had encountered drugs hidden inside a fast-food item. She explained that officers carrying out searches under state drug laws are required to inspect every part of a vehicle, even when it involves sifting through leftover food.
Broome is a coastal town located in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia, with Cable Beach known as both a tourist destination and a residential suburb. The Western Australia Police Force regularly conducts targeted surveillance and traffic stops across regional towns to intercept illicit narcotics moving through local communities.
The McMuffin is a popular breakfast sandwich produced by global fast-food chain McDonald's, typically consisting of egg and meat inside a toasted English muffin. While drug concealments in vehicles frequently involve hidden compartments or personal belongings, police noted that hiding substances inside commercial food packaging remains an uncommon tactic in the region.
Court date scheduled
Following the vehicle search, police arrested the 39-year-old male driver, who resides in the nearby Kimberley town of Derby. He was charged with possession of a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply.
A female passenger who was travelling in the vehicle was questioned by detectives at the scene and subsequently released without charge. The charged man is scheduled to appear in court on September 9 to face the drug possession charge.
