A knife seized during the operation. Photo: NSW Police.
A three-day police blitz in Wagga Wagga has exposed the scale of retail crime in the heart of the Riverina, with knives seized and dozens of alleged offenders caught.
Between Tuesday (April 14) and Thursday (April 16), officers from the Riverina Police District descended upon the Wagga CBD as part of “Operation Percentile,” a targeted crackdown designed to curtail shoplifting and protect the retail outlets and workers bearing the brunt of it.
In just 72 hours, police laid 11 charges, most for alleged theft, but also for hindering or resisting police, assaulting an officer, and breaching an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO). Thirty additional offenders were slapped with on-the-spot criminal infringement notices for larceny.
Three knives were seized during the operation and police also recorded six drug detections and conducted 39 personal searches.
An outstanding arrest warrant was also executed.
