Operation Saber VII is an intelligence-led initiative, focusing on people and places known to have previously been involved in knife-crime offences.
During the operation, which ran over two nights (Thursday and Friday, December 16-17), police seized 28 knives, conducted 1,043 person searches resulting in 106 drug detections, issued 284 traffic infringements and charged more than 175 people with 227 offences ranging from theft to drug and knife possession.
They also conducted 273 bail compliance checks, issued 24 criminal infringement notices, and also conducted 969 random breath tests and 84 random drug tests.
During the operation, police were patrolling Bankstown CBD after responding to a report that a man was allegedly armed with a knife in Leonard Street at Bankstown. They located a man allegedly armed with a knife which he dropped when sighting police. They also searched a nearby vehicle and allegedly located another knife along with drugs and mobile phones. A 30-year-old man was arrested and charged with a detention warrant. A second man, aged 26, was also arrested at the scene and charged with goods in custody, and remain on enclosed lands.
