Five people have been arrested and charged with a total of 30 offences in the first Operation Soteria surge initiative in Western Region for 2026.
The three-day Operation Soteria campaign ran from last Thursday (8 January 2026), ending yesterday (Saturday 10 January 2026), by general duties police as well as specially-trained officers from the Operations Support Group (OSG) and the Dog Unit.
During the operation police conducted,
- 31 bail compliance and ADVO checks
- 15 person searches
- Two firearm prohibition order searches
- Two drug detections, and
- Executed five arrest warrants.
Significant arrests included,
A 24-year-old man was arrested yesterday (Saturday 10 January 2026), in Boggabilla and was taken to Boggabilla Police Station where he was charged with 15 offences,
- Contravene restriction of ADVO (four counts)
- Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (five counts)
- Common assault
- Aggravated enter dwelling with intent deprive liberty
- Armed with intent to commit indictable offence
- Stalk intimidate (two counts), and
- Knowingly contravene ADVO.
Police will allege the latest ADVO breach was the third within 28 days.
The man, from Boggabilla, was also charged with a further three outstanding warrants for alleged aggravated break and enters, as well as domestic violence and traffic offences. He has been refused bail to appear before Bail Division Court today (Sunday 11 January 2026).
A second 24-year-old man was also arrested yesterday (Saturday 10 January 2026), and was taken to Moree Police Station where he was charged with five offences,
- Use carriage service to menace harass offend
- Intentionally choke person without consent
- Common assault
- Destroy or damage property and
- Stalk intimidate.
The man, from Moree, was granted strict conditional bail to appear before Moree Local Court on Monday 2 February 2026.
A 43-year-old man was arrested on two outstanding warrants last Thursday (8 January 2026). He was taken to Moree Police Station where he's been charged by warrant for the alleged offences of attempt stalk, intimidate intend fear or harm, common assault, and intentionally choke person without consent.
The man, from Moree, was refused bail to appear before the Moree Local Court next Tuesday (13 January 2026).
This was the first surge deployment for 2026 where an influx of police were strategically deployed to prevent and disrupt crime in regional NSW, these deployments follow on from the successful 2025 deployments that were held in both the Western and Northen regions.
Operation Soteria was launched in March 2025 to address an escalation of violence in offenders across Western and Northern parts of the State.
It's core strategies focus on targeting high-risk offenders and conducting regular high-visibility proactive policing campaigns.
Further similar operations are already being organised for 2026.
