Just before 9.30am yesterday (Thursday 28 July 2022), officers from Riverina Highway Patrol Command were patrolling the Hume Highway at Coolac, about 20km north of Gundagai, when they stopped a Toyota Aurion for random testing.

The driver, a 27-year-old man, allegedly handed police a fake international driver's licence bearing false details, before fleeing on foot and into bushland.

A short time later, a Riverina Highway Patrol officer located the man walking along Coolac Road, Coolac, and arrested him after a short foot pursuit.

Police spoke with the passenger - a man aged 43 - and a subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a suitcase and bag in the boot allegedly containing more than 17kg of cannabis.

Further checks revealed the vehicle was a hire car from Victoria.

Both were taken to Cootamundra Police Station where the younger man was charged with one count each of supply prohibited drug, driver or rider state false name or home address, and never licensed person drive vehicle on road.

The older man was charged with supply prohibited drug.

Both men, who are from Victoria, were refused bail to appear in Wagga Wagga Local Court today (Friday 29 July 2022).

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.