A police manhunt has ended today, with a 53-year-old man arrested on the Gold Coast and charged with drug offences following a tragic incident that led to the death of Police Dog Rambo last month.
As Police Dog Rambo and his handler were tracking the man along the Bruce Highway at Maryborough on June 16, Rambo was struck by a car and sadly passed away.
The incident sparked a statewide hunt for the 53-year-old, who had evaded police until today.
He is the fourth person to be charged in relation to the June 16 incident. Two men and a woman were charged after police intercepted a vehicle on June 21. The vehicle they were travelling in at the time was registered to the man arrested today.
Police say that on June 16, officers stopped a car being driven by the 53-year-old. He attempted to evade police by running through bushland near the Bruce Highway.
Police Dog Rambo and his handler were brought in to track the man when tragically the long-serving police dog was struck by a passing car.
Officers rushed PD Rambo to a nearby vet, but sadly he could not be revived.
A subsequent search of the man’s car turned up a substantial amount of illicit drugs, cash and other drug-related material.
The man has been charged with trafficking dangerous drugs, possessing dangerous drugs, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, obstruct police, possessing anything used in the commission of a crime and fail to properly dispose of needle.
He appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court today and was remanded in custody to reappear in on August 3.
