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Police have laid 20 charges following a two-day high visibility proactive traffic operation, targeting illegal trail bike riders in the Illawarra and South Coast regions.
Operation Spoiler ran from Thursday 13 March 2025 to Friday 14 March 2025, and involved officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command Illawarra and South sector, Wollongong, Lake Illawarra and South Coast Police Districts, Youth Command, Southern Region Enforcement Squad, POLAir, NSW Dog Squad and Police Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit.
The operation was conducted on high profile roads and areas identified as high traffic areas for illegal trail bike riders, including Berkeley, Mount Warrigal, Shellharbour, Bellambi and Nowra, with a focus on the detection and interception of unregistered trail bikes on the road and general road rule compliance from Bulli to South Nowra.
The following results were achieved;
253 breath tests conducted
49 drug tests conducted
6 positive drug detections
4 positive alcohol detections
20 charges laid for criminal and traffic offences
16 traffic warnings/cautions
77 traffic infringements issued
39 exceed speed limit infringements issued
5 defects and noise pollution infringements issued
33 person searches
9 vehicle searches
2 unregistered trail bikes confiscated
Notable incidents include;
About 8.45am on Friday 14 March 2025, police were patrolling Bellambi when they sighted an unregistered Yamaha motorcycle on Rothery Road, Bellambi heading towards the soccer fields. A short time later, officers arrested a 37-year-old male in Cawley Street, Bellambi. The rider was subjected to a roadside drug test, allegedly returning a positive result for methamphetamine. A sample was sent away for secondary testing and is awaiting results. Police will also allege his license was suspended. The bike was seized by Police. The rider was prohibited from driving for 24 hours. He was issued with an infringement notices for unregistered, un-insured, not display registration plate and not wear helmet offence. Inquiries are continuing.
About 1.15pm on Friday 14 March 2025, police were patrolling Northcliff Drive, Warrawong when they sighted a riding allegedly riding a motorcycle east on the footpath. Officers stopped the 17-year-old man. He was subjected to a roadside test, allegedly returning a positive result to cannabis. A sample was sent away for secondary testing and is awaiting results. He was issued him with a court attendance notice for never licensed person drive vehicle on road. Traffic infringement notices were issued for unregistered, un-insured and no helmet offences. He will appear in a Children's court on Wednesday 7 May 2025.
About 11.58am on Thursday 13 March 2023, police were patrolling Belinda Street, Bomaderry when they allegedly detected a learner rider travelling on a motorcycle at 87km/hr in a 50km/hr zone. The 18-year-old driver was pulled over and issued with a traffic infringement notice exceed speed limit – over 30km/hr. His license was suspended.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Command Inspector Mckechnie said the operation pooled a significant amount of resources across the Illawarra and South Coast to send a strong message to illegal trail bike riders.
"The operation included plain clothed and uniformed officers on trail bikes, as well as assistance from POLAir and the local police districts and specialist commands to not only detect unregistered trail bike riders but road users not obeying the law. Two unregistered trail bikes were seized and positive interactions with the community led to information being passed onto to Police, which will assist in future operations," Inspector McKechnie said.
"This will not be the last of the operations and serves as a warning to people who are continuing to ride unregistered trail bikes on the roads and in public parks, potentially putting road users and community members' safety are risk. Unregistered riders caught doing the wrong thing, can face infringements, court attendance notices, and seizure of their bikes," Inspector McKechnie said.
