A major police operation across NSW has resulted in over 200 people being charged with more than 350 offences and the seizure of knives and weapons as part of a two-day blitz.
Operation Foil is a high-visibility operation targeting violent offenders, knife crime, and the possession of weapons in public places across the state.
The operation ran from 1pm on 2 July to 1am on 4 July and saw over 500 officers deployed across Sydney’s metropolitan and regional areas of NSW.
During the blitz, police conducted a number of knife scanning operations, in which 3,697 people were scanned. In total, 144 weapons were seized, including 83 knives, 40 firearms and 21 other weapons. 46 outstanding warrants were also executed.
Officers attached to Youth Command also assisted Operation Foil by visiting 374 schools across the state and met with more than 24,000 students during June, delivering anti-violence presentations under ‘Operation Pivot’ to raise awareness and support crime prevention efforts.
“We have introduced new laws to make wanding powers permanent and backed police with the tools to get knifes and dangerous weapons off our streets,” said Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Yasmin Catley.
“Operation Foil is this work in action: police finding the people carrying weapons and taking them out of our communities.”
Operation Foil Commander, Detective Chief Inspector Glen Parks said the two-day blitz is part of an ongoing, proactive effort by police to reduce violent crimes.
“Operation Foil sends a clear message: carrying a knife in public puts everyone at risk, and we will not tolerate it,” Chief Inspector Parks said.
“Over the course of this two-day operation, our officers worked around the clock to remove weapons, disrupt offending, and strengthen community safety.
“The results make one thing clear: if you carry a knife, you will be stopped, and you will be held accountable.”
