The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested five males in relation to a crime series across the Greater Darwin Region overnight.
Earlier in the night, a group of alleged offenders attended a residence on Westralia Street in Stuart Park, where they gained entry whilst armed via a dog door and subsequently stole two vehicles.
About 1:15am, police received reports of one of the vehicles ramming a residential gate in Moulden whilst brandishing a machete and hammer, allegedly threatening residents. A short time later the group attended a government facility where the group attempted to damage the gate and security screens.
The second stolen motor vehicle was recovered in Coconut Grove.
Around 3am, the group were observed by police CCTV operators within one of the stolen motor vehicles nearby a commercial premises in Fannie Bay. Strike Force Trident members were nearby and a pursuit was initiated after the group failed to follow police directions. The vehicle lost control a short time later and crashed into a power pole at the intersection of Nadpur Street and Dickward Drive. All of the offenders self-extracted from the vehicle and fled by foot into the mangroves whilst additional Strike Force Trident, Darwin general duties and Dog Operations Unit members set up a cordon.
Patrol Dog Fitzy tracked three of the offenders with the first located hiding up in a tree who surrendered to police without incident. The second was found lying in a pool of water in an attempt to conceal himself and again surrendered upon being discovered. The third was located hiding in thick vegetation and was apprehended by PD Fitzy.
Patrol Dog Drax deployed from the cordon in a different direction and located articles of clothing from the offenders and as Drax was indicating direction of travel the offender surrendered to a member of Strike Force Trident.
Patrol Dog Cheeko was also deployed and tracked the fifth offender into thick grassland where he was located hiding in the verge of the mangroves.
This is another great example of the effectiveness of the Dog Operations Unit in tracking and apprehending offenders involved in violent criminal offending and the close working relationship with SF Trident.
The five males arrested, aged 13, 14, 15, 16 and 19-years-old were all transported to the Royal Darwin Hospital for medical assessment.
Strike Force Trident have carriage of the investigations and charges are expected to follow.
