Police have charged more 150 people with more than 360 alleged offences following a two-day blitz across the state last week.
Operation Foil is a high-visibility policing strategy targeting violent offenders, knife crime, and the possession of weapons in public places across the state.
The operation commenced at 1pm on Thursday 24 September 2026 and concluded at 1am on Saturday 26 September 2026, and involved more than 500 officers from Police Area Commands and Districts, with support from specialist units, deployed across the state.
More than 150 people were charged with 360 alleged offences after 4,436 people were scanned for weapons. Police detected and seized 108 weapons, including 85 knives, 4 firearms and 19 other weapons. Officers made 160 drug detections and executed 35 outstanding warrants.
Police also conducted 3295 roadside breath tests and completed about 500 bail compliance checks throughout the operation.
Knives and crime
Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said nobody should ever leave home carrying a knife.
‘There is no good reason to walk out your front door carrying a knife or another dangerous weapon. You are putting yourself and everyone around you at risk,’ Minister Catley said.
‘A weapon doesn’t keep you safe. It only makes you more dangerous. If you choose to carry a dangerous weapon in public, you should expect to be caught and held to account.’
Operation Foil Commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Michael Cantrell, said the high-visibility strategy had been conducted three times this year, and it demonstrated the strong commitment of police to combating weapon-related crimes.
‘The successful outcome of Operation Foil highlights how proactive policing reduces knife crimes and makes the community stronger and safe,’ Detective Acting Superintendent Cantrell said.
‘Police will continue to arrest people who choose to carry prohibited weapons in public places and put them before the court to face the consequences.’
Beyond Sydney, arrests happened in locations including Tamworth, East Maitland and Tweed Heads.
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