A man has been charged with alleged weapons, drugs, and speeding offences during a high-visibility traffic operation across the state's west.
Officers from Traffic and Highway Patrol Command were out in force as part of Operation Furious this week (Wednesday 31 May and Thursday 1 June 2023), targeting speed and dangerous driving offences.
During the course of the operation, police issued 15 charges and 5 drink-driving (PCA) charges, 395 traffic infringement notices total, which included 203 infringements for speeding offences, five unrestrained child offences, 24 school zone offences, and 23 heavy vehicle offences.
Of note, officers were patrolling the Cowra area, when they detected a Ford Falcon sedan allegedly speeding on the Mid Western Highway about 12.15am.
When the sedan allegedly failed to stop as directed, a police pursuit was initiated. The vehicle came to a stop a short time later.
Police spoke to the driver, a 24-year-old man. During a search of his vehicle, police located a machete, two knives, and prohibited drugs. These items were seized to undergo forensic examination.
The man underwent a roadside breath test which allegedly returned a negative result; he was then subjected to a roadside drug test which allegedly returned a positive result.
He was arrested and taken to Cowra Police Station, where he was charged with eight offences, including:
- police pursuit – not stop – second offence,
- two counts of custody of knife in public place,
- drive motor vehicle during disqualification period,
- two counts of possess prohibited drug,
- use unregistered registerable motor vehicle on road, and
- use uninsured motor vehicle on road.
The man was refused bail and appeared at Cowra Local Court yesterday (Thursday 1 June 2023), where he was formally refused bail to appear before the same court on Wednesday 21 June 2023.
