Some of Australia’s most wanted criminals.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
Some of Australia’s most wanted criminals.
Source: The Daily Telegraph
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THEY are murderers, fraudsters and rapists – among the most wanted men and women in the country.
Police today release a list of known criminals who are being targeted in Operation Roam, the first national operation to track down fugitives who are known to move from state to state.
All the states have come together to produce the list that they hope will transcend usual state barriers.
Large rewards are on offer for the apprehension of some missing offenders, who are all wanted on arrest warrants.
“Individuals states can issue arrest warrants and wanted bulletins to police in other states,” NSW Crime Stoppers director Peter Price said.
“But this operation brings all the states together and through Crime Stoppers we can co-ordinate a national campaign targeting these criminals.”
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Mr Price said a similar international operation in conjunction with Interpol had proven to be highly successful. “This is the first time an operation like this has been launched in Australia. The main aim is to get the images of these criminals who are known border hoppers and ask the community to try to help catch them,” he said.
He said many of them are adept at immersing themselves in small communities.
“We ask everyone to just keep their eyes and ears open and contact police if they have any information which they believe can help.”
Crime Stoppers, which has been operating for 21 years in Australia, offers rewards varying from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands for information which aids police solve all types of crimes.
“Crime Stoppers is asking every member of the public to look out for these people, but not apprehend them,” he said.
“If you see these people call us immediately … you can remain totally anonymous, or call your local police station.”
Many of the wanted are believed to be in NSW or have contacts in this state.
Susan Sewell, convicted in 2004 of stabbing three people in a Melbourne church, has been spotted in the ACT and Sydney this year.
And Graham Gene Potter, the “Head and Fingers” killer who served 16 years for the murder of Wollongong teen Kim Barry in 1980, is now wanted for drug importation and conspiracy to murder.
He was seen at Sydney’s Central railway station last year getting off a train from north Queensland, and earlier this year ran off into the bush when stopped for a routine check while driving in Tully.