Northern Territory (NT) police has confiscated about 16 kilograms of kava drugs that was en route to a remote island community.

A 56 year old Aboriginal elder was arrested due to possession of such drugs.

Police in Arnhem Land was able to stop a Toyota land cruiser at Barge Landing Road on Good Friday where the man was spotted off guard.

The kava has a street value of $16,000. This man is headed to Milingimbi Island, good thing the police was able to intercept this activity before he can run away with it, a police spokeswoman said.

Superintendent Helen Braam said that people are not getting the message about drugs in their community clearly.

Kava is a drug - it has serious social and medical consequences for the community, she said.

While the police refuse to reveal the man's identity, Supt Braam said that this was not the first time that Arnhem Land community got involved with such incident.

I would expect that respected people from the community will be part of the solution, not the problem, she said.

Members from the Katherine and Northern Regional Command, with key representatives across the region, are working hard to place protocols that will guide the police and the community as well to work together in addressing crime issues.

People who behave in this manner devalue the whole process.

The unidentified man was charged with possession of trafficable amount of kava, supplying kava without a valid license and possession of cannabis. He will be asked to appear in court by May.

Toyota