Victorians trio arrested at Mawson Lakes after police search

Three Victorians who illegally crossed into SA on Saturday have been arrested after their car was tracked to a hotel at Mawson Lakes. Two men and a woman will now be tested for COVID-19.

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Three Victorians who snuck into SA – under the guise one of them needed urgent medical attention – have been arrested at Mawson Lakes.

Police arrested two men and a woman after the trio breached a COVID-19 direction when they crossed the border at Yamba, a Riverland checkpoint on Sturt Highway, about 5pm on Saturday.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said they claimed that one of the ute’s occupants had a possible fractured ankle and needed urgent treatment.

The Victorian ute being used by the three was tracked to metropolitan Adelaide and then to a hotel at Mawson Lakes about 12.15pm on Sunday.

The men were found a short distance away in a taxi. Patrols searched the area and found the woman in Merchant Lane.

The men, aged 34 and 35, and the 32-year-old woman were arrested.

The men were taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment – one for a check-up and the other for a pre-existing ankle injury.

The woman was taken to the Adelaide City Watch House.

All three are expected to be charged later on Sunday. They will be tested for COVID-19.

“The initial assessment by the police officers found that was consistent with the statements being made and they were allowed to travel through with requirements to go directly to that (nominated) hospital,” Mr Stevens told media on Sunday.

But when the vehicle never turned up, police started tracking its movements.

A Victorian ute being used by the three was tracked to metropolitan Adelaide and then to a hotel at Mawson Lakes about 12.15pm on Sunday.

Mr Stevens said people entering SA for a medical emergency should not be detained unnecessarily.

“It is very difficult to stop everybody and people who choose to breach the regulations will be dealt with,” he said.

“They claimed they had a possible fractured ankle. Police officers on scene, not being medical professionals, made an assessment and thought their claims were legitimate and let them travel through.”

Earlier, Mr Stevens said travellers attempting to “sneak” past strict coronavirus hard-border controls would be caught by extensive police surveillance, as new figures also show hundreds of people are still legally visiting from Victoria.

He said the “harsh reality” was South Australia could face a similar COVID-19 crisis engulfing Victoria if community complacency continued.

Warning the virus “has not gone away” and urging people to heed medical advice, he revealed significant police resources, including extensive surveillance, had been deployed along SA’s border.

While hundreds of officers and troops patrol dozens of checkpoints, police are also using drones, fixed and mobile number plate recognition data – from point-to-point cameras on the Sturt and Dukes highways – aircraft as well as sniffer dogs, Mr Stevens revealed.

“We do have capability for other surveillance, electronic surveillance activities that would support our efforts in maintaining close eyes on our borders,” he said. “It probably serves as a strong reminder to people, it’s not just when they see a police officer that they might be under observation. If you want to take the chance of coming into South Australia, you should expect you are going to be detected and we will deal with you accordingly.”

Police figures show almost 1000 travellers legally passed through the state’s border from Victoria on Friday.

On the first day of hard borders earlier this month, almost 700 people crossed as either an essential traveller or a local resident. A total of 6774 travellers crossed from Victoria – the highest from interstate – that include those in border communities who are restricted to 50km boundaries.

Separate statistics reveal police allowed 1212 essential travellers to cross from Victoria, NSW and the ACT on Friday, compared to 752 people on July 9. At least 8366 crossed into SA in that time. As authorities consider a similar NSW and ACT hard border, Mr Stevens said it was “disappointing” four Victorian freight-train stowaways escaped punishment, including fines, despite breaking draconian border rules.

Mr Stevens, who is also the state’s COVID-19 co-ordinator, said he “couldn’t guarantee we will catch everybody who tries to sneak into SA” but police will do “our very best to make it as hard as possible”.

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“I think the four stowaways is a really good example of the extent that some people will go to, to sneak in … as much as it was suggested that there’s no reason to come to (SA) if you’re a Victorian,” he said. “There seems to be quite a few people making that effort.

“The nature of our border with Victoria and NSW is that you can’t completely lock it down. There is not a wall there that we can maintain.

“And we know some people will try. The imperative to identifying people who are trying to get around our border controls is greater now than what it was in the past.” He said police efforts had focused on a consistent approach and fining people $1000 who deliberately breached emergency management rules.

Police may change quarantine rules to ensure fines were issued in such cases.

Praising “hugely impressive” efforts by officers volunteering along the borders, he said more troops might be drafted to patrol any hard NSW and ACT border. Contagious, but undetected travellers, remained the “big risk”.