14 charged after three-day operation - Op Soteria - Moree
Sunday, 06 April 2025 04:18:35 PM
Fourteen people have been charged during Operation Soteria, which was established to target youth crime in the western and northern regional areas of the state.
This week, between Thursday 3 April and Saturday 5 April 2025, officers from New England Police District, assisted by officers attached to the Domestic Violence High Risk Offenders Team, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and Youth Command were deployed to Moree for a three-day operation.
As a result of the operation:
- 14 people were charged with a total of 27 offences
- 44 random drug testes were conducted with 4 positive results
- 29 traffic infringements notices were issued with 19 traffic cautions issued
- 10 people were searched
- 10 vehicles were searched
- 42 bail compliance checks were conducted
Arrests of note included a 17-year-old boy and a 19-year-old woman who were arrested for a break and enter at a home on Amaroo Drive, Moree, on Friday 14 February 2025.
The boy was arrested about 10.15am on Thursday 3 April 2025 on Amaroo Drive, Moree.
He was taken to Moree Police Station and charged with aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence – inflict actual bodily harm and take and drive conveyance without consent of owner.
He was refused bail and appeared at a children’s court on Thursday 3 April 2025, where he was formally refused bail to appear before court on Monday 14 April 2025.
About 8.45am on Thursday 3 April 2025 a search warrant was executed on a home at Howarth Street, Wyong. The 19-year-old woman was arrested and taken to Wyong Police Station where she was charged with aggravated break and enter commit serious indictable offence – in company – steal, be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner and recruit child to carry out / assist criminal activity.
She was refused bail an appeared before Wyong Local Court on Thursday 3 April 2025, where she was formally refused bail to appear before Moree Local Court on Monday 2 June 2025.
About 4.40pm on Thursday 3 April 2025, a 37-year-old man was arrested at a home on Auburn Street, Moree. He was taken to Moree Police Station and charged with break and enter house steal value less than $60,000, larceny, goods in personal custody suspected being stolen and enter inclosed land not prescribed premises without lawful excuse.
He was refused bail and appeared before Tamworth Local Court on Friday 4 April 2025, where he was formally refused bail to appear before Moree Local Court on Monday 14 April 2025.
Investigations under Operation Soteria continue.