Between Monday 13 and Thursday, 16 January, 2025 Richmond District Police officers arrested and charged ten people with a combined 53 offences.
Offences ranged from alleged sexual assault and drug supply offences, break and enter and traffic offences.
The Richmond Police District were assisted by Northern Region Operations teams, Highway Patrol, the Dog Unit, Police Rescue and PolAir who saturated the Richmond Police District under Operation Surge.
‘Police also conducted 28 AVO compliance checks, and executed four search warrants, and four firearms prohibition order compliance checks,’ they stated in a press release.
Drugs and child abuse
About 8.30am on Monday, 13 January, 2025, officers from the North Coast DV High Risk Offenders Team and Ballina Child Abuse Squad attended a hotel in Lismore following an extensive investigation into alleged sexual assault and drug supply offences.
A 46-year-old man was arrested and taken to Lismore Police Station where he was charged with five counts of supply prohibited drug (small quantity to small child by adult), three counts of aggravated sexual assault – victim under the age of 16 years, three counts of have sexual intercourse with child, intentionally sexually touch child, and procure child for unlawful sexual activity. He appeared before Lismore Local Court on Monday, 13 January, 2025, and was formally refused bail to appear before the same court on Wednesday, 12 March, 2025.
About 2pm on Monday, 13 January, 2025, officers attended a home on Boronia Avenue, Casino, to conduct a Firearms Prohibition Order search and to make inquiries as part of an ongoing investigation into stolen vehicles. A 31-year-old man was arrested and taken to Lismore Police Station where he was charged with drive conveyance taken without consent of owner, and drive motor vehicle during disqualification period.
He was refused bail to appear before Lismore Local Court on Tuesday, 14 January, 2025, where he was formally refused bail to appear before Tweed Heads Local Court on Monday, 3 March, 2025.
About 8.40am on Tuesday, 14 January, 2025, Lismore Detectives, assisted by the AFP Dog Unit, executed a search warrant at a home in Girards Hill in relation to an investigation into child abuse material. Several electronic devices were seized and will undergo forensic examination. An amount of cannabis and heroin was also located and seized.
A 53-year-old man was arrested and taken to Lismore Police Station where he was charged with two counts of possess prohibited drug, use carriage service to access child abuse material, possess child abuse material, and self-administer/attempt self-administer prohibited drug.
He was refused bail to appear before Lismore Local Court on Wednesday, 15 January, 2025, where he was granted strict conditional bail to appear before Lismore Local Court on Wednesday, 12 March, 2025.
Break and enter
About 9.40am on Tuesday, 14 January, 2025, police attended a home on Oak Avenue, Casino, where they arrested a 20-year-old man following an investigation into alleged break and enter, drug and traffic offences. He was taken to Casino Police Station where he was charged with 26 offences. He appeared before Lismore Local Court on Wednesday, 15 January, 2025, and was formally refused bail to appear before Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday, 11 March, 2025.
About 11.40pm on Wednesday 15 January 2025, police attended a home in Goonellabah as part of an investigation into property and traffic offences. Two males, aged 14 and 19, were arrested and taken to Lismore Police Station.
The younger boy was charged with take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, and breach of bail. He was refused bail to appear before a children’s court on Thursday, 16 January, 2025 where he was granted conditional bail to appear before the same court on Friday, 7 February, 2025.
The older boy was charged with aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence, drive conveyance taken without consent of owner, take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, unlicensed for class, and breach of bail. He was refused bail to appear before Lismore Local Court on Thursday, 16 January, 2025 where he was formally refused bail to appear before the same court on Wednesday, 26 March, 2025.
Further surge operations are expected across the Northern Region.
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