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Dangerous drivers targeted in northern NSW - Operation Spoiler

Wednesday, 26 March 2025 03:23:51 PM

Police have laid 25 charges for traffic-related and other criminal offences, and issued more than 190 traffic infringement notices during a 16-day operation in northern NSW.

Police on deployment covered more than 14,400km across New England and Oxley Police Districts during Operation Spoiler – a high-visibility road policing operation targeting criminal activity, anti-social behaviour, drink-driving and road-related offences.

The operation was conducted from Monday 10 March 2025 to Tuesday 25 March 2025.

For one deployment under the operation, officers attached to Traffic North West – Traffic & Highway Patrol Command targeted the townships of Gunnedah, Inverell, Moree and surrounding areas.

The 15-day operation resulted in:

  • 699 random breath tests conducted, with one testing positive
  • 111 random drug tests conducted with 11 testing positive
  • 77 traffic infringement notices including 31 speed offences

A second deployment under the operation was led by the Traffic Response Group, focusing on major roads between Tamworth, Coonabarabran and Armidale from Thursday 20 March 2025 to Tuesday 25 March 2025.

The six-day operation resulted in:

  • 344 random breath tests conducted, with two testing positive
  • 203 random drug tests conducted with 25 testing positive
  • 127 traffic infringement notices, including 54 speed offences, five seatbelt offences, and five mobile phone offences

Of interest, some dangerous driving behaviour detected during the operation includes:

  • About 10am on Sunday 23 March 2025, a 28-year-old man was stopped for not giving way to a police motorcycle rider on Green Street, West Tamworth. The man – who was on bail at the time on the incident – allegedly tested positive to cannabis. He was arrested and charged with contravene prohibition restriction in AVO (domestic), and was refused bail to face Tamworth Local Court on Monday 24 March 2025. A 24-hour prohibition from driving was served with a penalty notice, with police awaiting further results in relation to the alleged cannabis detection.

Inspector Kelly Wixx of Traffic and Highway Patrol Command – Peel Sector said Operation Spoiler continues to bring community road safety to the forefront to ensure road users can feel safe on their rural and regional journeys.