A 41-year-old man has been charged after allegedly carrying a bladed weapon during a knife-scanning blitz in Newcastle. Police patrolling Ocean Street in Merewether spotted the man carrying a suspicious item just after 8am on April 1. The man allegedly fled when he noticed police but was found near a unit block during a search of the area.
Officers seized a bladed instrument and 0.22 grams of methamphetamine. The man was issued a court attendance notice for possessing a prohibited drug and having custody of a knife in a public place. He is due to appear before Newcastle Local Court next month.
The arrest was part of Operation Foil, a high-visibility statewide blitz targeting violent offenders, knife crime, and possession of weapons in public places. The operation ran on Wednesday and Thursday, with knife-scanning operations in 13 designated areas across NSW.
During the operation, police also stopped a 32-year-old woman on King Street in Newcastle West just after 2.30pm on April 1. Officers allegedly located and seized a small boxcutter. She was issued a court attendance notice for having custody of a knife in a public place and will appear before Newcastle Local Court later this month.
Overall, Operation Foil resulted in 2,789 knife scans using hand-held wands, with 100 weapons seized including knives and firearms. Police searched over 1,000 people, made 215 drug detections, issued more than 250 move-on directions, and executed 66 warrants. More than 200 people were arrested and 400 charges laid.
