31 May 2023

Riverina men face court following statewide drugs and firearms operation

| Shri Gayathirie Rajen
Weapons, firearms and drugs

Murrumbidgee Police District allegedly seized prohibited weapons, firearms and drugs. Photo: NSW Police.

Three Riverina men were arrested along with 641 people across NSW for various alleged offences as part of a four-day, high-impact operation from Wednesday 19 April to Saturday 22 April conducted by NSW Police.

Detectives from Murrumbidgee Police District conducted a firearms prohibition order/weapon prohibition order search at a Griffith home where they suspected a wanted man was present, about 12:20 pm last Thursday (20 April).

During the search, police allegedly located and seized a .22 calibre pump action rifle, ammunition and a replica rifle (gel blaster), as well as prohibited drugs, cash and paraphernalia consistent with drug supply.

Griffith man Colin McGee, 22, was among three men arrested and has faced Albury Local Court charged with being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence, stalking and intimidation, and contravening a prohibition/restriction for an apprehended violence order.

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McGee was granted conditional bail and is to appear before Albury Local Court on 9 May.

Griffith man Donald Campbell, 31, was also arrested and faced Griffith Local Court charged with possessing an unregistered firearm and not keeping a firearm safely.

Campbell pleaded guilty to the charges and was granted conditional bail. He is to face Griffith Local Court for sentencing on 8 June.

A 30-year-old man, Robert Goolagong, was charged with not keeping a firearm safely (not a pistol/prohibited firearm), using an unauthorised firearm, acquiring a firearm subject to a prohibition order, acquiring ammunition subject to a prohibition order, having a firearm at premises subject to a prohibition order and possessing ammunition without holding a licence.

He has been formally refused bail to next appear at Griffith Local Court on 31 May.

Operation Amarok II, an intelligence-based policing strategy led by each region’s Domestic Violence High-Risk Offender Teams (DVHROT), involved officers from all police area commands and police districts in NSW, as well as various proactive and specialist units.

Following Operation Amarok II, 1108 charges were laid and, of those arrested, 314 were identified among NSW’s most dangerous domestic violence offenders and 164 of those had outstanding warrants for violent offences.

Over the four days, police engaged with high-risk domestic violence offenders on 1262 occasions, made 326 applications for apprehended domestic violence orders (ADVOs), served 460 outstanding ADVOs, and completed 4949 ADVO compliance checks and 1633 bail compliance checks.

Officers also applied for and served 45 new firearms prohibition orders (FPOs) and conducted 145 searches at properties linked to those who are subject to FPOs.

In total, police seized 23 firearms and 45 prohibited weapons, as well as various types of illicit drugs located with 121 detections.

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