Man arrested twice in 2 days after alleged 180kmh Riverina ute ride

About 3.30pm on Thursday, March 28, officers working under Operation Brushwood arrested and charged a 25-year-old Victorian man after he was detected allegedly driving a ute west at 180kmh in a 100kmh zone on the Riverina Highway, Savernake, 100 kilometres west of Albury.

Officers stopped the driver on Corcoran Street, Berrigan, and subjected him to a roadside breath and drug analysis, returning a positive drug test.

When the vehicle was searched, police allegedly seized a machete, and a substance believed to be an illicit drug.

The man, from Kerang in Victoria, was arrested and taken to Finley police station when he allegedly returned a positive secondary drug test; this has been sent for further analysis with charges pending on the outcome.

The man was issued an infringement notice for exceeding the speed over 45kmh, and a notice of suspension of authority to drive in NSW. He was issued with a future court attendance notice for drug possession, and a fine for possession of a machete found in the vehicle. The man's ute was issued with a major defect notice.

About 10pm on Saturday, March 30, police were patrolling Racecourse Road, Deniliquin, when they stopped the same man driving the same vehicle.

He was subjected to a roadside breath test which allegedly returning a positive reading. Police also allegedly located illegal drugs when the man was searched.

He was taken to Deniliquin police station, where he was subjected to a secondary breath analysis which returned a reading of 0.04; however, due to the man's driving privileges being suspended, he was subject to special PCA limits.

A secondary drug test was also conducted which returned a positive result and the man was suspended from driving for a period of 24 hours.

The man was then charged with four offences, including driving when driver visiting privileges are withdrawn, possess prohibited drug, special category driver driving with a special range PCA, and breaching bail.

The man was released on strict conditional bail; however, about 2.50am Sunday, March 31, police were called to Deniliquin Racecourse due to a man driving a ute conducting burnouts. The same man was once again arrested and was taken to Deniliquin police station where he was charged with a further four offences.

These included driving recklessly/prolong, sustain etc loss of traction, drive when driver visiting privileges withdrawn, using a vehicle in contravention of major defect notice and using a registrable vehicle not - displaying authorised number-plates.

He was refused bail and appeared in Wagga Local Court that day.

He was once again refused bail and remanded in custody to appear in Albury Local Court on May 14.

Investigators attached to the Rural Crime Prevention Team, established Operation Brushwood to target rural crime-related offences throughout the southern region.

The five-day operation was conducted in the Murray River Police District between Thursday, March 28, and Monday, April 1.

During the operation, officers conducted 60 random breath tests, issued 11 traffic infringement notices, conducted seven inspections of licensed premises, made three drug detections, as well as multiple vehicle and person searches, fishing licence and firearm inspections, and campsite inspections at Werai National Park and Murray Valley National Park.