Police have seized over 100 knives and have charged over 200 people during a major operation targeting knife crime across NSW.
Operation Foil is a high visibility statewide operation targeting violent offenders, knife crime and the possession of weapons in public places.
The operation ran from 1pm Thursday 25 September 2025 to 1.30am on Saturday 27 September 2025 and saw over 600 officers deployed across metropolitan and regional areas of NSW.
During the operation police seized 127 weapons including knives, firearms and ammunition, made 258 drug detections, and charged 204 people with 408 offences.
Incidents of note include:
Incident 1: About 3.50pm on Thursday 25 September 2025, Police Transport Command officers observed a man pass through the ticket barrier at Rouse Hill Metro Station without paying. The man was stopped and searched. During the search, police allegedly located 10 knives and a pair of scissors in his possession. He was issued a Field Court Attendance Notice for 13 offences, including 10 counts of counts of custody of knife in public place, possession of equipment for administering prohibited drugs, hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty and travel or attempt travel without valid ticket. He is due to appear before Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday 29 October 2025.
Incident 2: About 10pm on Thursday 25 September 2025, police attended a hotel on Beaumont, Islington, where they arrested a 28-year-old man wanted on an outstanding warrant. The man was searched, with police allegedly locating a rifle, a knife, an amount of cannabis and $8050 cash. Police subsequently executed a search warrant in a room at the same location, where they located a further 58g of cocaine, 15.9g of methylamphetamine and 68 rounds of ammunition. He was taken to Newcastle Police Station where he was charged with possess loaded firearm public place, not keep firearm safely-not pistol/prohibited firearm, possess unregistered firearm in public place, possess ammunition without holding licence/permit/authority, deal with property proceeds of crime, custody of knife in public place, supply cannabis more than indictable and less than commercial quantity and two counts of supply prohibited drug more than indictable and less than commercial quantity. He appeared before Bail Division Court 2 on Friday 26 September 2025, where he was refused bail to appear before Newcastle Local Court on Thursday 16 October 2025.
Incident 3: About 7pm on Thursday 25 September 2025, police attempted to stop a 32-year-old man, who was wanted on an outstanding warrant, on Brisbane Street, Dubbo. Following a short foot pursuit, the man was arrested. Police subsequently searched the man and allegedly located five knives in his possession. He was taken to Dubbo Police Station, where he was charged with five counts of custody of knife in public place. He appeared before Bail Division Court 4 on Friday 26 September 2025, where he was refused bail to appear before Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday 1 October 2025.
Incident 4: About 6.40pm on Friday 26 September 2025, police stopped a sedan for the purposes of random testing on Lanyon Drive, Queanbeyan. Police subsequently searched the vehicle and allegedly located 22.5g cannabis, 17 MDMA capsules and 0.9g of cocaine. The driver – a 32-year-old man – was arrested and taken to Queanbeyan Police Station, where he was charged with three counts of possess prohibited drug, hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty, carry cutting weapon upon apprehension and supply prohibited drug more than indictable and less than commercial quantity. He was granted conditional bail to appear before Queanbeyan Local Court on Tuesday 10 November 2025.
In the lead up Operation Foil, Youth Command ran Operation Pivot throughout the state, which is a prevention, early intervention and diversionary focused operation, aimed at young people aged 10 to 17.
Between Monday 15 to Friday 26 September, Operation Pivot completed the following:
- 217 secondary schools attended delivering anti violence presentations
- 12,670 students engaged through education and outreach events
- 174 Welfare and engagement visits with at-risk youth
- 146 High Visibility Patrols of youth crime hotspots
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Information is managed on a confidential basis. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
