23 charged under Operation Soteria - Mid North Coast and Coffs/Clarence

Friday, 18 July 2025 02:50:11 PM

Twenty-three (23) people have been charged under Operation Soteria on the Mid North Coast during a surge operation last week.

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.

The three-day Surge operation ran between Wednesday 9 July 2025 and Friday 11 July 2025 across the Mid North Coast and Coffs/Clarence Police Districts.

During the operation, officers conducted 57 bail compliance checks, 17 person searches and 11 vehicle searches, with four knives allegedly located and seized as a result.

Following further inquiries, four outstanding warrant offenders – three women and a man – were arrested in the Kempsey area.

Additionally, Traffic and Highway Patrol officers conducted roadside drug and alcohol testing, with 13 people allegedly returning positive roadside drug tests. Inquiries into the results of these tests are ongoing. Officers also issued court attendance notices to five people for allegedly driving whilst disqualified.

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. During the operation, officers attached to the NSW Police Force Youth Command conducted 12 home engagement visits of known youth.

Incidents of note include:

• About 10.22pm on Wednesday 9 July 2025, police were patrolling Solitary Islands Way, Korora, when they sighted an SUV that had allegedly been stolen from a caravan park in Coffs Harbour a short time earlier. When the driver allegedly failed to stop as directed, a pursuit was initiated; however, was terminated due the manner of driving. A short time later, two police vehicles were allegedly rammed by the driver, and the driver – a 35-year-old man – was arrested following a brief struggle with police. He was taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station where he was charged with 13 offences including two counts of use etc offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention etc, drive conveyance taken without consent of owner, police pursuit - not stop - drive dangerously, drive motor vehicle during disqualification period, refuse or fail to submit to breath test, refuse or fail to submit to oral fluid test, and hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty. He appeared before Bail Division Court 1 on Thursday 10 July 2025, where he was formally refused bail to appear before Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday 29 July 2025.

• About 12.15am on Thursday 10 July 2025, police were patrolling South Kempsey when they sighted a male allegedly walking along Reginald Ward Street holding a machete. The male engaged with police briefly before allegedly running from the scene, with police arresting the 13-year-old boy a short time later following a foot pursuit. Latex gloves and a machete were seized, and the boy was taken to a support person. He was left in their care and will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.

• About 3.10am on Thursday 10 July 2025, police were called to the M1 Pacific Motorway, Telegraph Point, following reports of a single-vehicle crash. Police arrived to find a provisional driver, aged 19, had crashed into a barrier. The woman was issued with traffic infringement notices for negligent driving (no death or grievous bodily harm), and P1 driver under 25 years old driver between 11pm and 5am with more than one passenger under 21 years. Following inquiries, police commenced a search of the area and located one of the vehicle’s passengers, a man aged 21, in bushland near the scene of the crash. He was arrested and taken to Port Macquarie Police Station where he was charged with beach of bail. He was refused bail to appear before Bail Court Division 1 on Thursday 10 July 2025, where he was granted strict conditional bail to appear before Port Macquarie Local Court on Monday 28 July 2025.

• Just after 2pm on Thursday 10 July 2025, officers were patrolling the Pacific Highway at Sapphire Beach when they allegedly detected a vehicle travelling at approximately 110km/h in a signposted 60km/h zone. Police stopped the vehicle at Opal Boulevard, Korora, and spoke with the driver – a 28-year-old man – and his passenger – a 31-year-old man. During a search of the vehicle, police allegedly located and seized jewellery and $4,550 in cash. Inquiries revealed the passenger had an outstanding arrest warrant in relation to alleged domestic offences. The two men were arrested and taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station. The younger man was charged with drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, class A motor vehicle exceed speed over 45 km/h – estimated, drive/tow vehicle with unsecured load, not comply P2 licence condition not display P plates, and deal with property proceeds of crime equal to/ more than $10000. The outstanding warrant was executed, and the older man was charged with two counts of contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (Domestic). Both men were refused bail to appear before Bail Division Court 1 on Friday 11 July 2025. The younger man was formally refused bail to appear before Coffs Harbour Local Court on Wednesday 16 July 2025. The older man was granted strict conditional bail to appear before Fairfield Local Court on Monday 25 August 2025.

• About 11pm on Thursday 10 July 2025, police were called to a caravan park on Harbour Street, Yamba, following reports of a break and enter. Officers attended and were told a male allegedly broke into a caravan before stealing a Toyota SUV. A short time later, police located the vehicle travelling on Yamba Road, Palmers Channel. Police attempted to stop the vehicle and when it did not stop, a pursuit was initiated. The pursuit was terminated when the vehicle crashed into a power pole, which snapped and sparked a fire in nearby grassland. Fire and Rescue NSW crews attended and extinguished the blaze. The driver – a 17-year-old boy – was uninjured. He was arrested at the scene and was subjected to a roadside breath test which returned a positive result. He was taken to Grafton Police Station, where he underwent a secondary breath analysis which returned an alleged reading on 0.101. The boy was charged with aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence-people there, police pursuit - not stop - drive recklessly, driver not wear seatbelt properly adjusted and fastened, never licensed person drive vehicle on road, drive with middle range PCA, steal motor vehicle and breach of bail. He was refused bail to appear before a children’s court on Friday 11 July 2025, where he was granted strict conditional bail to appear before a children’s court on Friday 18 July 2025.

Inquiries under Operation Soteria continue.

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