Police dog helps solve holiday crime

While it’s been a holiday for some, a Tweed-Byron police dog has had a busy and successful time fighting crime.

The dog, whose name police haven’t revealed, has been out with officers policing on the M1 and had three successes in two incidents on Friday (September 29).

The first pursuit was at 11.22pm, when police detected a stolen vehicle travelling on the M1 at Chinderah.

They attempted to pull over the vehicle but when it failed to stop a pursuit was commenced.

The vehicle turned off the M1 and travelled down a dirt road through cane fields before turning onto the Tweed Valley Way. it then turned into a private road, crashing into a set of steel gates.

The vehicle was then observed to drive through a number of dish drains before coming to a stop. The two occupants ran from the vehicle.

The police dog team from Tweed Heads commenced to track the offenders.

A male was located some time later up a tree. He was arrested and taken to Tweed Heads Police Station. Inquiries are continuing to locate the second offender.

The second pursuit commenced soon after, at 1.48am, when a vehicle was detected travelling south on the M1.

Police signalled to it stop but the driver allegedly ignored them and continued on driving over grass median strips, doing U-turns and driving on the wrong side of the motorway to avoid being apprehended.

The driver and his passenger then ran from the vehicle after they had left it in the middle of the motorway.

Police moved the vehicle off the roadway and began a search for the two people.

The police dog team located the pair who had fled the vehicle.

The male driver has been charged with police pursuit not stop, drive manner dangerous, unlicensed driver, receive property stolen outside the state and goods in custody. He was bail refused to appear at Tweed Heads Bail Court.