Police have nabbed two teenage boys over an alleged spate of break-ins and car thefts in the Hunter Valley.
Operation Western Mongoose was tasked with investigating the January crime spree, which saw a number of homes broken into and robbed at Muswellbrook in the dead of night.
Valuables ranging from vehicles to wallets, phones and IDs were allegedly stolen, along with a pair of firearms.
Following extensive inquiries, officers arrested a 14-year-old boy in relation to 18 separate incidents at Oxley on Wednesday.
The teenager was charged with 7 counts of aggravated break and enter, commit serious indictable offence; 4 counts of steal motor vehicle; 10 counts of stealing; 3 counts of entering dwelling with intent; 1 count of steal firearm, and; participating in a criminal group.
He was refused bail to appear at a children’s court.
Following extensive inquiries, about 9.45am yesterday officers attended a home in Muswellbrook to speak with a boy.
A 14-year-old who was understood to already on bail for other offences, was arrested and taken to Muswellbrook Police Station where he was charged with 25 property-related offences and was refused bail to appear before a children’s court today.
Hunter Valley Police District Crime Manager Detective Inspector Matt Zimmer said they put significant resources into the cross border operation with Oxley Police District.
“These are very serious criminal offences which involve the offenders breaking into people’s houses while they were asleep and stealing various amounts of property,”
“As a result of some excellent work conducted by our general duties staff and our intelligence staff and we will allege there are significant links made to two 14-year-old boys which were arrested this week and we will allege that their offending is relevant to 18 separate incidents.”
“Some of those charges include seven counts of aggravated break, enter and commit serious indictable offence, four counts of stealing a motor vehicle and that’s relevant to four separate motor vehicles, ten counts of stealing and also stealing a firearm. It will be alleged that during a break and enter offence in January two firearms were stolen, police have subsequently recovered one of those firearms and investigations are continuing in an attempt to recover the second firearm,” said Detective Inspector Matt Zimmer.
“These offences have caused significant angst in the community and these arrests provide reassurance to these victims that police will investigate their reports of crime and we now have two young persons before the courts facing more than 50 serious offences,” he said.