103 arrested during Operation Colossus, NSW

PLEASE NOTE: Images of this operation will be uploaded to NSWPF social media pages.

Officers from the Police Transport Command have arrested 103 people as part of the largest police crackdown on crime across Sydney’s public transport network since stay-at-home orders were lifted.

Operation Colossus was conducted on Friday (6 May 2022) and Saturday (7 May 2022), targeting violence, anti-social behaviour, and the possession of weapons, on public transport such as ferries, buses, and trains.

PTC North-West led the high-visibility operation – aimed at commuter safety – with assistance from local police area commands and specialist commands including the Dog Unit and PolAir.

During the operation, police issued 139 move-on directions, arrested 103 people, and laid more than 119 charges for offences including assault, drug possession, firearm possession, and traffic offences.

Incidents of note include:

• About 10:40am on Saturday 7 May 2022, police were patrolling Lidcombe Train Station when they attempted to stop a 19-year-old man; however, he allegedly ran from police before being arrested in nearby Joseph Street. When police searched the area, identification and bank cards belonging to numerous people were recovered. The man was taken to Auburn Police Station where he was charged with five counts of goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen. Two outstanding arrest warrants were also executed, and the man was also charged with two counts of larceny, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was refused bail and appeared at Parramatta Local Court yesterday (Sunday 8 May 2022).

• Just after 1pm on Friday 6 May 2022, a 74-year-old woman was allegedly hit in the face with a mobile phone at Central Train Station, and a 58-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman were allegedly punched in the face in separate incidents in nearby public toilets. When Operation Colossus officers attended and arrested a 44-year-old woman over the incidents, she allegedly assaulted a male constable. The woman was taken to Day Street Police Station, where she was charged with three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and assault police. She was refused bail and appeared at Parramatta Local Court on Saturday (7 May 2022). The men and women suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

Cumulative results for the two-day operation included, 103 people arrested for 119 charges, 382 person searches, 289 move-on directions issued, 57 drug detections, 21 breach-of-bail offences detected, and five people charged for possessing a knife in a public place.

/Public Release. View in full here.