State Crime Command’s surge deployment was led by the Robbery & Serious Crime Squad with the Coffs Clarence Police District in a bid to target crime in the Coffs Harbour area and surrounds.

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The operation ran between Monday 14 and Wednesday 16 October and involved the deployment of over 100 officers attached to State Crime Command, who travelled to Coffs Harbour to work in collaboration with Coffs Clarence Police District and specialised resources including Pol Air, Traffic & Highway Patrol, Dog & Mounted Unit, Youth Command, the Firearm Registry and the NSW Crime Commission.

During the three-day operation, officers conducted 264 random breath tests (RBTs) and 47 random drug tests – eight of which returned a positive result.

Police also conducted four storage inspections at various tobacconists and seized vapes and illegal tobacco worth approximately $600,000.

As part of the operation, officers established a vehicle check point on the Pacific Highway at Halfway Creek on Monday 14 October in response to a planned Mongols OMCG run.

In total, 36 vehicles were stopped and 42 alleged members were processed, photographed and subject to roadside drug and alcohol testing.

Three riders will be issued court attendance notices (CANs) for possessing a prohibited weapon, displaying a Nazi symbol in public, and possessing a prescribed restricted substance.

Several other incidents of note have been reported by NSW Police.

About 11am on Tuesday 15 October 2024, officers investigating a number of armed robberies in the area arrested a 43-year-old man and 25-year-old woman in Port Macquarie.

They were taken to Port Macquarie Police Station where the man was charged with nine offences relating to alleged break and enters and robberies.

He was refused bail and appeared in Port Macquarie Local Court on Wednesday 16 October.

The woman was charged with ‘aggravated break & enter dwelling etc in company intend steal <=$60K’ and ‘drive motor vehicle during disqualification period’. She was granted conditional bail to appear in Port Macquarie Local Court on Wednesday 13 November. Police will allege in court the man was involved in an armed robbery at a licenced premises Kew in January, stealing a motor vehicle from a business in Urunga in August, two break and enters in East Ballina and Ballina in August, and two more conspiracies to break and enter. At about 8am on Tuesday 15 October, officers executed a search warrant at an address in Coffs Harbour where they arrested a 39-year-old man. During the search, police located a number of electronic devices containing child abuse material, stolen number plates and prohibited drugs. The man was taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station where he was charged with two counts of ‘use carriage service to access child abuse material’, ‘use carriage service to solicit child abuse material’, ‘deal with identity info to commit etc indictable offence’, and ‘possess prohibited drug’. He was refused bail and appeared in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Wednesday 16 October. About 7am on Monday 14 October 2024, officers executed a search warrant in Boambee East where they arrested a 30-year-old man. During the search police located and seized prohibited drugs, items used in a hydraulic block press and electronic devices. The man was taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station where he was charged with two counts of ‘supply prohibited drug >indictable &