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National News Australia

A bumper year for biosecurity

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A bumper year for biosecurity

Once again, it has been a busy year on the frontline for Australia’s biosecurity system, with over 238,000 biosecurity risk items intercepted at airports and an additional 32,800 biosecurity risk items stopped in mail centres.

Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Australia’s Director of Biosecurity, Andrew Metcalfe AO, said it was important to check what is safe to bring into Australia when going on holidays overseas or buying goods online.

“If there’s one thing we’ve seen this year, it’s that Australians care about biosecurity and want to do the right thing to keep our country safe,” Mr Metcalfe said.

“This Christmas, we are asking that Australians continue to do the right thing at the border.

“If you have friends or family overseas who want to send gifts, make sure they know the rules as well. And if you’re not sure, declare it or don’t bring it in.

“Our frontline biosecurity officers and our biosecurity detector dogs go above and beyond to protect Australia’s agricultural industries, our food supply chain, and our unique way of life.

“I want to sincerely thank our officers who work day and night to keep this country safe.”

Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity and Compliance, Dr Chris Locke, said serious penalties applied to those putting Australian biosecurity at risk.

“There have been six visa cancellations on biosecurity grounds across our international airports and 861 international travellers were issued with high penalty infringement notices of $2,664 for not declaring high biosecurity risk items,” Dr Locke said.

“Biosecurity officers have introduced new biosecurity risk measures to help keep Australia free from diseases like foot and mouth disease (FMD), African swine fever (ASF), and lumpy skin disease (LSD).

“Some of the risk material people tried to bring into the country through the post included a whole leg of ham with the trotter still on, live leeches, a wooden cricket bat with live borers and wallaby meat.

“Our biosecurity officers also found brown marmorated stink bugs in the mail and in people’s luggage, and live khapra beetle larvae on cardamom pods.

“This year we celebrated 30 years of our detector dog program, and in the 2022-23 budget the Australian Government committed $11.7 million dollars to the program.

“This extra funding will allow for 20 detector dogs and 20 handlers, who will be on the frontline of our biosecurity system across travellers, mail and cargo.

“And it’s a worthy investment. This year our detector dog teams intercepted around 21,000 biosecurity risk items from travellers and in the mail.

“While most people do the right thing and either leave their risk items behind or declare them on arrival, there are some people who are prepared to threaten Australia’s biosecurity by trying to conceal high risk goods.

“The Australian Government takes these threats to our biosecurity very seriously. Recently, the Biosecurity Act 2015 was amended so the penalties and sentencing fit the crime.

“People who attempt to conceal high risk goods, including within their luggage, could face civil penalties of up to 1,200 penalty units, or $266,400. If hit with an infringement notice, they may have to pay up to $4,440.

“Operators and persons in charge of aircrafts and vessels who do not comply with the requirements will be subject to sanctions of up to $222,000 for an individual or $1.1 million for corporate bodies.”

Fast facts:

  • Visa cancelations included two international visitors who arrived in Perth.
  • One of the travellers failed to declare 240 grams of non-commercially packaged beef, 1890 grams of shrimp with chili paste, 395 grams of dried shrimp, 75 grams of powdered shrimp, 360 grams of fish noodle paste, and 750 grams of other plant and fruit materials in their luggage.
  • The second traveller failed to declare 490 grams of beef, 350 grams of chicken, 210 grams of dried fish, 150 grams of chili onion paste and 625 grams of unknown materials with dry chili.
  • Both received $2664 infringement notices and had their visas cancelled.
  • Another passenger had their visa cancelled and received a $2664 infringement notice after attempting to bring eggs, a cob of corn and home-grown dried vegetable material into Australia, hidden in commercial packaging.
  • Penalty units will increase from 1 January 2023, which will see an increase to all infringement notices issued.

 Wallaby meat

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National News Australia

Two teens charged with property offences in Tamworth and Hunterview – Operation Regional Mongoose

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Two teens charged with property offences in Tamworth and Hunterview – Operation Regional Mongoose

Thursday, 25 July 2024 01:34:07 PM
Two teens will face court charged following an investigation into multiple break-ins and a pursuit in the state’s north.

Operation Regional Mongoose is a high-visibility police operation to tackle serious property-related crime, committed predominately by young offenders.

Officers attached to Oxley and Hunter Valley Police Districts commenced investigations into multiple break-ins and a pursuit in the Tamworth and Hunter Valley areas. Items of note:

Between September 2023 and July 2024, police commenced inquiries in relation to multiple property related offences in the Tamworth area. Following inquiries, about 1.40pm on Tuesday (23 July 2024), police attended a home in Tamworth and arrested a 14-year-old boy where he was taken to Tamworth Police Station.
Police executed an outstanding arrest warrant for traffic and criminal-related offences. He was also charged with breach of bail. The teen was refused bail and appeared at a Children’s court on Tuesday (23 July 2024), where he was given conditional bail to reappear at the same court on Tuesday 20 August 2024.

Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District commenced an investigation following reports of multiple aggravated break-ins and theft of vehicles in the Hunterview area throughout July 2024. On Thursday 11 July 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Hunterview, and seized five sets of car keys that were allegedly stolen. Following inquiries, about 12.55pm yesterday (Wednesday 24 July 2024), a 17-year-old boy attended Tamworth Police Station and was arrested.
He was charged with two counts of aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence-people there, two counts of take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, aggravated break and enter and commit serious indictable offence-armed, face blackened/disguised with intent commit indictable offence, commit s 154A offence and disseminate, and breach of bail.

The teen was refused bail to appear at a Children’s court today (Thursday 25 July 2024).

Inquiries under Operation Regional Mongoose continue.

Anyone with information about Operation Regional Mongoose 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.

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National News Australia

Two men arrested following Bondi police operation and pursuit

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Two men arrested following Bondi police operation and pursuit
Thursday, 25 July 2024 01:31:18 PM

Two men have been arrested following a police operation in Bondi this morning.

About 8.20am today (Thursday 25 July 2024), police were called to George Street, Dover Heights, following reports unknown men were allegedly seen walking around with firearms before leaving in a vehicle.

Officers attached to Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command arrived and immediately commenced patrols of the area.

Following inquiries, police located the vehicle, a Cupra SUV, travelling on Bondi Road, Bondi, a short time later.

Police directed the driver top stop, however when they allegedly failed to do so a pursuit was initiated.

The vehicle then stopped on Old South Head Road, Bondi, where the driver, a 20-year-old man, was arrested, and the passenger attempted to flee the scene.

Following an extensive search of the area – with assistance from specialist police – officers arrested a second man, aged 24, in the backyard of a nearby home.

Both men were taken to Waverly Police Station where they are assisting with inquiries.

Police have established a crime scene on Old South Head Road and have allegedly located and seized multiple firearms in the vehicle.

As inquiries continue, police are urging anyone with CCTV or information about the incident to contact Eastern Suburbs Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Anyone with information about this incident 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.

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Man charged following incident at Miranda shopping centre – CTST Command

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Man charged following incident at Miranda shopping centre – CTST Command
Thursday, 25 July 2024 12:21:33 PM

A man has been charged following an incident at a shopping centre in Sydney’s south yesterday.

Just after 2.00pm Wednesday 24 July 2024, emergency services were called to a shopping centre on the Kingsway at Miranda, following reports of a man throwing bottles inside a bathroom on level one.

Officers from Sutherland Shire Police Area Command attended and located several bottles which were seized for further forensic analysis.

The shopping centre was not evacuated.

Police established a number of crime scenes and commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

About 2:16pm officers arrested a 21-year-old man nearby.

During a search of the man police located and seized a knife, a bottle, and other items.

He was taken to Sutherland Police Station, before being taken to hospital for treatment for a minor injury and assessment.

The man has been charged by officers attached to the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command with possess in public place non-firearm for discharging irritant, custody of knife in public place – first offence, and leave/send substance/article create false belief danger.

He was bail refused to appear before Sutherland Local Court today (Thursday 25 July 2024).

Anyone with information about this incident 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.

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