Police have charged 26 people, seized weapons and illicit drugs, and executed 15 Firearm Prohibition Order (FBO) compliance checks during a three-day deployment to the state's Orana region aimed at targeting regional crime.
State Crime Command's 'Operation Surge Dubbo 2024' is a multi-faceted operation led by the Criminal Groups Squad in a bid to target, disrupt, and prevent localised crime in the regional township of Dubbo and surrounds.
The operation ran between Tuesday 25 and Today (Thursday 27 June 2024), and involved the deployment of over 90 officers from State Crime Command's squads - together with the NSW Crime Commission - who have travelled to Dubbo to work in collaboration with Orana Mid-Western Police District and specialised resources, including Traffic & Highway Patrol, Domestic and Family Violence Registry (DFVR), and Firearms Registry.
During the three-day operation, officers arrested 26 people charging them with a combined 48 offences, including drug supply, domestic violence, and traffic offences. Officers conducted 15 FPO compliance checks, 10 firearm inspections and issued 10 money mule notifications.
Officers also located and seized over $49,000 in Australian currency, three knives, and prohibited drugs including MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis.
As part of the operation Traffic and Highway Patrol officers issued 180 traffic infringement, six defect notices and conducted over 300 random breath tests and 150 random drug tests.
Detective Superintendent Jason Box, Commander of State Crime Command's Criminal Groups Squad said the aim of the operation was to remove weapons and prohibited drugs from the streets and make the community safer.
"Thanks to the combined efforts of officers from the state crime command, local police district and other specialist areas, Operation Surge has once again been a success," Det Supt Box said.
"The operation will not be the last and should serve as a warning to those people who choose to be involved in criminal activity in regional NSW."
Commander of Orana Mid-Western Police District Superintendent Timothy Chinn said local police welcome these types of operations which reaffirm the focus police have on regional crime.
"The local community should feel safer knowing operations like these will continue to run, both in the Orana region and across western NSW", Supt Timothy Chinn said.
Incidents of note include:
- About 7.30am on Tuesday (25 June 2024), operation detectives – with assistance from State Crime Command's Raptor Squad – executed a search warrant at a home on Armstrong Crescent, Dubbo. During the search, detectives allegedly located and seized over $44,000 cash, 52 MDMA tablets, cocaine, methylamphetamine and cannabis. The estimated potential street value of all drugs seized was over $30,000. The occupants, a 33-year-old man and 27-year-old woman, were both arrested and taken to Dubbo Police Station where they were both charged with supply prohibited drug, owner/occupier knowingly allow use as drug premises and deal with property proceeds of crime. They both appeared before Dubbo Local Court, where they were granted strict conditional bail to appear before the same court on Wednesday 3 July 2024.
- About 1.30pm on Tuesday (25 June 2024), operation detectives arrested a 35-year-old man at a hotel carpark on Brisbane Street, Dubbo, following an investigation into alleged drug supply. During the arrest detectives allegedly located eight small bags of cocaine and over $2000 cash in the man's possession. He was taken to Dubbo Police Station and detectives subsequently executed a search warrant at a Dubbo home about 1.45pm. During the search an additional $3,000 cash and cocaine was located. All items have been seized for forensic examination. Detectives charged the man with five counts of supply prohibited drug, supply prohibited drug on an ongoing basis and deal with property proceeds of crime. The 35-year-old appeared before Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday (26 June 2024), where he was granted conditional bail to appear at Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday 17 July 2024.
- Just after 8am on Wednesday (26 June 2024), operation detectives with the assistance of Western Region OSG executed an FPO at a home on Topaz Avenue, Dubbo. No prohibited items were located; however, the occupant, a 56-year-old man, was arrested for breaching a current enforceable AVO. He was taken to Dubbo Police Station and charged with contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (Domestic). The man will appear in Dubbo Local Court today (Thursday 27 June 2024).
- About 1.40pm on Wednesday (26 June 2024), operation detectives with the assistance of Western Region OSG executed an FPO/WPO at a home on Lancaster Park Place, Dubbo. During a search of the home an electronic controlled device was seized with investigations into the incident ongoing.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators 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.
