Three Echuca men have been arrested in a large cross-border operation targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised criminal entities.
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Victoria Police's VIPER Taskforce has worked with the NSW Police Force's Raptor Squad across north-eastern Victoria and southern NSW to arrest eight people and laid 45 charges during the five-day Operation Blue Ember.
During the multi-agency operation - which started at 6am on March 20 and finished at midday on March 24 - officers did 22 searches, including 12 firearm prohibition order compliance searches and seized a firearm, five imitation firearms, eight prohibited weapons, as well as ammunition, explosives and drugs.
A 42-year-old Echuca man, already the subject of a firearm prohibition order, was arrested and charged on March 20 for possessing a small quantity of what appeared to be methylamphetamine.
He will appear at Echuca Magistrates Court on May 9.
VIPER Taskforce officers at the start of the week executed a search warrant at an Echuca address, where they arrested a 31-year-old man and seized a homemade shotgun, ammunition, and an imitation handgun.
A 23-year-old man - also from Echuca - was arrested on March 21 and charged after police seized two imitation handguns, one imitation longarm, cannabis, shotgun shells and prescription medication.
He was charged with various weapons and drug offences.
State Anti-Gangs Division Crime Command Detective Superintendent Jason Kelly said this operation was simply one example of how both agencies would continue to focus their attention on organised crime.
"Cross-border crime is ever present in our society, with the attraction of the drug trade pushing organised criminal figures out of the city and into regional towns, believing they are safe from being targeted and out of constant law enforcement attention," he said.
"This couldn't be further from the truth - particularly with the establishment of our Raptor South Squad, we continue to gather intelligence and information about what groups are active and their activities, which are potentially linked to organised crime.
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"Make no mistake - this is a warning from the VIPER Taskforce, together with the Raptor Squad and our other partners: if you are involved in organised criminal activity, you will be detected and you will be held accountable, irrespective of a state border."
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Intelligence Operations executive director Jennifer Hurst said this operation showed the importance of agency collaboration.
"By working together, we are preventing organised crime groups from targeting our communities - the ACIC will continue to use our capabilities to gather intelligence to assist partners to dismantle criminal networks," she said.
Operation Blue Ember was a joint operation between Victoria Police's VIPER Taskforce, NSW Police Force's State Crime Command's Criminal Groups and Raptor Squads, in partnership with the Sheriff's Office, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and NSW Crime Commission.
Anyone with information about organised criminal, illicit drug and firearm activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at crimestoppersvic.com.au
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