Superintendent Adam Johnson said 16 people were charged with stealing offences as part of the coordinated operation by Auburn’s response and disruption team which targets property crime.
The operation involved 15 police officers in plain clothes working closely with retailers over a 12-hour period at stores in Homebush, Auburn, Lidcombe and Strathfield.
He said while the number of people caught was “disappointing in some ways”, the alleged offenders were now before the courts.
“The message to those that want to go out there and pinch stuff from shops, (is that) you never know who’s watching, and we do have undercover police out there,” he said.
Smash drug network
A WENTWORTH Point home was one of half a dozen properties raided last week as part of an ongoing gang investigation.
Strike Force Ethne was established in June last year to investigate a criminal syndicate allegedly involved in the supply of illicit drugs – mainly methylamphetamine (ice).
At 1.30pm last Tuesday, detectives arrested two men – aged 32 and 34 – in a pub carpark at Mount Pritchard.
A 31-year-old woman from Wentworth Point, along with two more men aged 28 and 32, were also later arrested after searches at homes at Bossley Park, Hinchinbrook, Mount Pritchard, St Johns Park and West Hoxton.
During the raids, police allegedly seized two revolvers – a loaded .22 Smith & Wesson and a .357 Magnum – as well as illicit drugs including 1kg of methylamphetamine (ice) with an estimated potential street value of $550,000, more than $27,000 in cash and various luxury items, suspected to be proceeds of crime.
All five people were charged with drug supply and criminal group related offences.
Investigations are continuing.
Man on stab charges
A 23-YEAR-OLD Auburn man has been charged with the alleged stabbing of a man at Parramatta Railway Station on Wednesday afternoon.
Emergency services were called to the station at 1pm and found a 41-year-old man suffering multiple stab wounds to his abdomen.
He was taken to Westmead Hospital in a serious condition, where he underwent surgery.
At 8pm on Thursday, police arrested the 23-year-old at a Gibbons Street unit and he was charged with wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
