West Australian police will be handed extraordinary and permanent powers to search for drugs at almost two dozen entry zones into the state.
The McGowan government will amend laws to create 22 search areas around airports, ports and road and rail border crossings in a bid to replicate the dramatic fall in meth consumption when WA shut its borders to prevent COVID-19 transmission.
Police will have the ability to conduct "regular, high-visibility" searches of people and vehicles using electronic wands and drug detection dogs.
The premier says the laws, which are guaranteed of passing given the government's control of both houses of parliament, will contain protections to ensure they are not misused.
They will expire and need to be renewed after five years, and will be overseen by the Corruption and Crime Commission.
"Anyone who has driven across the Nullarbor will know that at the border, you can actually have your car searched for a banana," Mr McGowan told reporters on Tuesday.
"What these laws will do is ensure that you can also be searched for (illicit drugs).
"I think meth, heroin or cocaine is more dangerous than a banana, apple or orange."
WA's interstate borders were effectively closed for almost 700 days before WA reopened in March last year.
Mr McGowan said the border closures had prevented the importation of "large quantities" of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.
He cited wastewater analysis which showed meth use halved in metropolitan Perth during the border restrictions and fell by up to 73 per cent in parts of regional WA.
"Not only did the amount of drugs decrease, but also drug-related crimes ... burglaries and other crimes that relate directly to people seeking to obtain the money to buy drugs," the premier said.
"It was a remarkable thing that occurred."
Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the search areas would not be staffed at all times but could be activated based on intelligence.
An activation can be authorised by an inspector for 24 hours and a superintendent for 28 days under the proposed changes.
"This isn't random. This isn't just a police officer on the street making a decision. This is a considered effort," Mr Blanch said.
"We know that methamphetamine in Western Australia can fetch anywhere between $300,000 and $500,000 per kilogram.
"So the risk has to be very high for (importers) to stop impacting on our community with this drug of death."
In the case of vehicle searches, there will be no requirement for police to have a reasonable suspicion that drugs are present.
Police Minister Paul Papalia said the laws would further disrupt the activities of bikie gangs who predominantly distributed illicit drugs delivered to Australia by organised crime groups.
