NT Police spent five months looking for a man with a swastika tattoo on his leg and have now charged him over the alleged offensive ink, but have not laid drug charges after he was allegedly found with “items indicative of drug supply”.
Police director of communications Mark Wilton said police received information in late December 2025 that a man was in a business in Alice Springs with a visible swastika tattoo on his leg.
I didn’t know this:
prohibited Nazi symbol +7 Public display of Nazi symbols, including the Hakenkreuz (swastika) and the “double sig rune” (SS bolts), is prohibited under Australian Commonwealth law as of 2024, with penalties up to five years in prison. The ban covers displaying these symbols on clothing, flags, or skin in public, as well as performing the Nazi salute.
So the tatoo (which i understand and dislike) offended someone, but not because of any criminal activity by the individual.
Is this a case of police resources well spent?