Police have charged four people after an SUV – allegedly fitted with cloned number plates and carrying firearms – was intercepted in Warwick Farm by officers under Task Force Magnus.
Task Force Magnus was established in July as a policing strategy to target and disrupt gun-related and violent crime, and to investigate links between recent organised criminal activity in Sydney.
To date, the task force has identified and seized more than 25 allegedly stolen motor vehicles, with many of them containing cloned number plates and jerry cans in preparation for their use in the commission of violent offences.
About 9pm on Wednesday (27 September 2023), officers stopped a Toyota Prado on Lawrence Hargrave Road in Warwick Farm, after identifying the vehicle was bearing cloned number plates.
When the SUV and the three occupants were searched, police located and seized two firearms, a jerry-can filled with fuel, $8700 cash and methylamphetamine.
The driver of the car – a 25-year-old man – and his two passengers, a 24-year-old man and 23-year-old woman, were arrested at the scene.
They were taken to Liverpool Police Station where the driver was charged with eight offences including possess loaded firearm public place, possess unregistered firearm – pistol, use class A vehicle displaying misleading, take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, driver motor vehicle during disqualification period, two counts of fail to comply digital evidence access order direction, and possess a prohibited drug.
The younger man was charged with possess loaded firearm public place, possess unregistered firearm -pistol, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, and be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner.
The woman was charged with possess loaded firearm public place, possess unregistered firearm-pistol, and be carried in conveyance taken w/o consent of owner.
They were all refused bail and appeared at Liverpool Local Court yesterday (Thursday 28 September 2023).
Just after 9am yesterday, task force detectives and officers attached to Sutherland Shire Police Area Command – with assistance from the Public Order and Riot Squad – executed three search warrants in Wiley Park, Ingleburn and Hurstville.
During the searches, police seized 17 mobile phones, three laptops and keys to several luxury cars.
In Wiley Park, Sutherland Shire Police Area Command officers arrested an associated 19-year-old man on unrelated offences.
He was taken to Campsie Police Station where he was charged with larceny, take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, and carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner.
The man was refused bail to appear before Bankstown Local Court today (Friday 29 September 2023).
Investigations and proactive operations under Task Force Magnus continue.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
