A man has been charged with 55 illegal hunting and related offences across 12 rural properties following a joint operation in the Riverina and Central West.
In a statement, NSW Police said officers attached to the Rural Crime Prevention Team were contacted by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) on 7 May, following reports of alleged illegal hunting on private properties in the Riverina and Central West Police Districts, over a six-month period.
Following the report, police – with assistance from DPIRD – commenced a joint investigation into the matter.
On 9 July, Police suspended the firearms license of a 20-year-old man before attending a home in Glenfield Park and seizing a firearm.
Following inquiries, officers attached to the Rural Crime Prevention team attended a location near Wagga Wagga yesterday and issued a 20-year-old man with a court attendance notice for 55 offences.
Police will allege the man entered 12 private properties, over a six-month period, in Condoblin, Carabost, Pangee and Bobadah where they will allege he used dogs to hunt and kill pigs on the private properties without the knowledge and permission of the owners of each property.
He is facing charges of:
- Enter private land to hunt animal without owner consent (12 counts)
- Enter enclosed agricultural land accompanied by hunting dog (12 counts)
- Contravene condition of game hunting licence (13 counts)
- Hunt game w/o declaration permitting hunting being in force (7 counts)
- Be accompanied by a dog in a nature reserve (4 counts)
- Enter, remain on travelling stock reserve without authority (2 counts)
- Possess, place or use net, trap, snare etc in forestry area (4 counts)
- Kill, hunt, shoot, poison etc animal in forest
He will appear in Wagga Wagga Local Court on Wednesday 9 September.
