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Police have charged four people, issued close to 70 infringement notices and seized two trail bikes following a one-day high visibility proactive traffic operation, targeting illegal trail bike riders in the Illawarra.
Operation Spoiler ran between 8am and 8pm on Saturday 26 July 2025 and involved officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command Illawarra sector, Wollongong and Lake Illawarra Police Districts, Youth Command, Southern Region Enforcement Squad, POLAir and NSW Dog Squad.
The operation was conducted on high profile roads and areas identified as high traffic areas for illegal trail bike riders, including Berkeley, Lake Illawarra, Mount Warrigal, Figtree and Bellambi with a focus on the detection and interception of unregistered trail bikes on the road and general road rule compliance.
The following results were achieved;
113 people breath tested
1 PCA (positive concentration alcohol) detected (high range)
48 roadside drug tests conducted
7 positive drug tests
69 infringement noticed issued (including for riding an unregistered trail bike)
8 unauthorised driver detected
10 trail bikes stopped
2 trail bikes seized
7 people searched
2 vehicles searched
Notable incidents include;
About 2pm on Saturday 26 July 2025, a 47-year-old man was riding a dirt bike along Franklin Avenue, Bulli, without number plates. The rider was pulled over and allegedly failed to present a valid drivers license or valid registration. He was subjected to a roadside drug test, allegedly returning a positive result. He was arrested and taken to Corrimal police station where he allegedly returned a positive test for methamphetamine and cannabis, which has been sent away for secondary testing. He was issued with a 24-hour prohibition from driving notice.
About 2.55pm on Saturday 26 July 2025, a group of five motorcyclists were spotted on Franklin Avenue Bulli, and with assistance from POL Air tracked to an address in Davidson Avenue, Woonona. Following checks, a 22-year-old male rider was allegedly found to not hold a driver's license. He was issued with a court attendance notice for never license person drive vehicle on road. He will appear in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday 19 August 2025.
About 2pm on Saturday 26 July 2025, officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol stopped a driver on the Princes Highway Unanderra for the purpose of a random breath test. He returned a negative breath test, however allegedly returned a positive test. The 31-year-old male driver was arrested and taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station where he allegedly returned a positive test for cannabis, which has been sent away for secondary testing. He was issued with a 24-hour prohibition from driving notice. Police will allege about 3pm on the same day, the driver was allegedly detected driving again in Unanderra. He was issued with a traffic infringement notice for drive when driving privileges withdrawn. He will appear in Port Kembla Local Court on Wednesday 3 September 2025.
