Police have charged 21 people with 33 offences under Operation Soteria during a three-day Surge operation in the state's west.
Operation Soteria is a strategic initiative focusing on aggravated break, enter and steal offences, stealing motor vehicles, and 'post and boast' offences where social media is used to gain notoriety.
The three-day Surge operation ran between Thursday 17 July 2025 and yesterday (Saturday 19 July 2025).
During the operation, officers conducted 61 bail compliance and apprehended domestic violence order checks, 15 person searches and 10 vehicle searches.
Additionally, Traffic and Highway Patrol officers conducted 955 stationary and mobile random breath tests, and issued 106 traffic infringement notices, including 22 speeding infringement notices.
Two incidents of note include:
(Incident A) About 7:40pm on Thursday (17 July 2025) police were patrolling the South Tamworth area when they sighted a white Toyota Hilux travelling in an easterly direction along Vera Street, South Tamworth. Police stopped the vehicle and the driver and passenger exited the vehicle. Initial police checks revealed the driver – a 30-year-old man – was travelling on a suspended NSW driver's licence. Police attempted to subject the man to a roadside breath test, when the man allegedly assaulted a constable. The man was arrested a short time later and taken to Tamworth Police Station, where he was charged with drive motor vehicle while licence suspended, refuse or fail to submit to breath test, refuse or fail to submit to breath analysis, assault police officer, and hinder police officer. He was refused bail, to appear before Tamworth Local Court tomorrow (Monday 21 July 2025).
(Incident B) About 10.20pm on Thursday (17 July 2025), two teens entered the carpark of a leagues club on Phillip Street, West Tamworth, and left a short time later allegedly taking a Hyundai Santa Fe which was parked at the location. About 1.20am on Friday (18 July 2025), police were patrolling around Armidale Road, East Tamworth, when they observed the Hyundai travelling north-west on Armidale Road. Police attempted to stop the vehicle and when if failed to do so a pursuit was initiated. The pursuit was terminated on the Oxley Highway due to safety concerns. The vehicle was later found abandoned on Macintosh Street, Taminda. Following a search of the West Tamworth area, a 16-year-old boy was located in a dam on a paddock on Sue Crescent. He was arrested and taken to Tamworth Police Station where he was charged with take and drive conveyance w/o consent of owner and breach of bail. He was refused bail and will appear before a children's court tomorrow (Monday 21 July 2025).
Inquiries under Operation Soteria continue.
