Police from the Northern District’s Taskforce Viper have recovered in excess of $70,000 worth of stolen property during recent searches.

The stolen property is in addition to more than $27,000 worth of property recovered during a search at Mowbray earlier this month.

The taskforce was re-established in late December with an aim to target recidivist offenders in the Northern District and during the first six weeks of operation, taskforce members have achieved the following results –

• 258 charges
• 44 separate offenders
• In excess of 20 properties and vehicles searched
• 27 per cent of charges relate to stealing
• 13 per cent of charges relate to drug offences
• 16 per cent of charges relate to firearms offences
• More than $97,000 worth of property seized in the first six weeks

Detective Acting Inspector Aleena Crack said the taskforce would continue to target repeat offenders who were responsible for large volume crime across the district.

“These results demonstrate that a small number of people are committing the majority of offences, and we have extended this taskforce to allow police to continue to target those offenders,” she said.

Anyone with information that may assist Taskforce Viper should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously via crimestopperstas.com.au