Ten people have been charged with 30 offences under Operation Soteria in the state's north 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.
Operation Soteria coordinates the response to this form of offending and takes overall command and control of criminal investigations into crimes of this nature across Northern and Western NSW Police regions.
Surge operations are also run in conjunction with officers from the Youth Command as part of a coordinated program of engagement with at-risk youth by facilitating participation in programs and activities aimed at deterring and redirecting youth from criminal activity.
A three-day Surge operation ran between Thursday 3 July 2025 and Saturday 5 July 2025 in the New England Police District, focusing on crime hot spots and maintaining a high-visibility public presence aimed at reassuring the communities of the North and Western Regions.
Officers conducted twenty-six bail compliance checks, fifteen person searches, and ten apprehended domestic violence order compliance checks.
Additionally, Traffic and Highway Patrol officers issued forty-five Infringement notices, conducted 823 random breath tests, and charged three people for drink driving-related offences; 18 people returned positive roadside drug tests; and officers from the Youth Command conducted twenty-six engagement visits of known youth, with over a hundred youth participating in Youth Command's PCYC U-Nite program.
Of particular interest, an 18-year-old man was charged with 17 offences. Eleven of these charges relate to an incident on Sunday 22 June 2025 in Moree where a police vehicle was allegedly rammed at 3:30am in Jones Avenue, Moree. These charges consist of:
- take and drive conveyance,
- never licensed,
- use offensive weapon prevent lawful apprehension,
- use offensive weapon in company to commit indictable offence,
- intimidate police officer in execution of duty,
- drive recklessly/furiously,
- fail to stop and assist after impact cause injury,
- police pursuit (two counts)
- hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty.
The same 18-year-old was charged in relation to an incident on Friday 14 February 2024 where the 18-year-old allegedly tried to ram a police vehicle in Greenbah Road, Moree at about 2am. He was charged with:
- take and drive conveyance (two counts),
- drive recklessly, furiously or speed in a manner dangerous,
- use offensive weapon to prevent lawful apprehension,
- drive recklessly/furiously,
- use offensive weapon in company w/i to commit indictable offence,
- intimidate police officer in execution of duty.
He was refused bail to appear before Moree Local Court on Monday 7 July 2025.
A 14-year-old boy was charged with two offences for an incident on Monday 19 May 2025 where he was a passenger in a vehicle that was allegedly stolen and involved in a pursuit with police. He was charged with:
- aggravated break enter and steal
- be carried in conveyance.
He was granted conditional before to appear before a Children's Court on Monday 11 August 2025.
In April 2025, officers from Brisbane Water Police District Proactive Crime Team commenced an investigation into several reported aggravated break and enter and stealing motor vehicle offences in the Brisbane Water area.
Following inquiries, about 10am on Monday, 30 June 2025, police arrested a 16-year-old boy at Gosford Police Station.
He was charged with a total of 26 offences –
- aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence (five counts),
- taken and drive conveyance (8 counts),
- commit S.154 offence and disseminate, post and boast (four counts),
- steal motor vehicle (seven counts) and
- unlicensed driver (two counts).
The teen was refused bail to appear before a children's court on Friday 15 August 2025.
Inquiries under Operation Soteria continue.
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.
