Police have charged three people and executed 12 Firearm and Weapon Prohibition Order (FPO/WPO) compliance checks, during a week of action targeting and disrupting organised criminal networks across Sydney.
The high-impact strategy was deployed under Operation Hawk by Raptor Squad detectives and officers attached to the Central, South West and North West Metropolitan Regions between Wednesday 28 June 2023 and Wednesday 5 July 2023.
Officers served three FPOs, three WPOs, and conducted 12 compliance checks, as well as other high-visibility activities targeting members, associates and supporters of organised criminal networks impacting on our communities.
Arrests of note include:
- About 9.10am on Wednesday 28 June 2023, officers attached to Camden Police Area Command's Proactive Crime Team – with assistance from the South West Metropolitan Region's Operational Support Group – executed an FPO compliance check at an address in Tahmoor.
During a search of the property, police located and seized a rifle barrel and slingshot.
A 54-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Camden Police Station before he was charged with use prohibited weapon contrary to prohibition order, possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit, possess a barrel for a firearm unless authorised by licence and firearm etc found at premises-subject to prohibition order.
The man was refused bail and appeared at Picton Local Court on Thursday 29 June 2023.
- About 7.45am on Friday 30 June 2023, officers attached to South Sydney Police Area Command attended an address in Redfern where they arrested a 33-year-old man.
He was taken to Mascot Police Station where he was served an FPO and charged with contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic).
The man was refused bail and appeared before Downing Centre Local Court the same day, where he was granted conditional bail to appear before the same court on Monday 21 August 2023.
- About 8am on Friday 30 June 2023, officers attached to North West Metropolitan Region's Operational Support Group attended an address in Quakers Hill, where they served a 22-year-old man an FPO and WPO.
During a subsequent search of the property, officers located and seized three ballistic vests, two mobile phones and approximately 10g of white power, believed to be cocaine.
The 22-year-old man was arrested and taken to Riverstone Police Station, where he was charged with possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit and use prohibited weapon contrary to prohibition order.
He was granted conditional bail to appear before Blacktown Local Court on Wednesday 5 July 2023.
Raptor Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis, said FPO and WPO compliance checks are business as usual for police targeting organised crime.
"These types of proactive taskings – both issuing and ensuring compliance of FPOs and WPOs – are an everyday occurrence at Raptor Squad.
"What we do works, and the stats speak for themselves. In twenty years, we haven't seen shooting numbers this low according to recent BOCSAR figures," Det Supt Koutsoufis said.
"The community should be encouraged by those figures and know that we will keep doing the work to ensure our priority of keeping the people of New South Wales safe is met."
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.
