Two men have been charged with a raft of robbery and arson offences in the Hunter spanning five months.
Police formed a strike force in October last year, and have been investigating links between six incidents across the Hunter Valley.
These include:
- Thursday 2 September 2021: two computer terminals were damaged by rocks in Glennies Creek before a structure on Middle Falbrook Road, two hay bales and two residential garbage bins were destroyed by fire.
- Friday 17 September 2021: three firearms were stolen from a rural property at Putty Road, Milbrodale.
- Saturday 25 December 2021: a tractor was located burnt out in a paddock on Tilpa-Tonga Road, Tilpa.
- Wednesday 19 January 2022: machinery and other equipment was stolen from a work sit at Goorangoola.
- Thursday 3 February 2022: two firearms were stolen from a property at Mount Olive.
- Wednesday 16 February 2022: two men entered a service station on Bridgman Road, Dunolly, and allegedly threatened a female attendant before fleeing cash.
On Sunday, Strike Force detectives attended a workplace in Muswellbrook and arrested a 19-year-old man.
A second man of the same age was arrested a short time later after presenting to Singleton Police Station.
Following a search warrant on TWO properties at Bridgman and Muswellbrook, as well as a search of an area of bushland, a machete and five firearms were seized.
Both men were charged with several offences including armed robbery, destroying property, malicious damage, break and enter, trespassing, larceny and firearms.
They were refused bail at Muswellbrook Local Court on Monday, to next appear before court at Singleton Local Court on Thursday 28 April 2022.
Image: guns seized by police after searching bushland in Bridgman.