Raptor North: Gangbusters land in Hunter to take on northern region crime

From Budgewoi to Byron: Senior police warn crime networks they are in the sights of new regional gangbusting squad.

Raptor North co-ordinator, Detective Inspector Peter Walke with acting Northern Region commander, acting Assistant Commissioner Scott Tanner, announcing the new Raptor North squad. Picture: Dan Proudman

The bikie-busting Raptor Squad has officially taken flight across parts of regional NSW, with two new squads starting work on investigating burgeoning organised crime networks filtering along the east coast.

As revealed by The Newcastle News in November, new wings of the highly successful Raptor Squad have been established in the northern and southern police regions after intelligence showed a decentralisation of criminal activities from the hotbed in Sydney to regional areas.

Under the banner of Raptor North, the Hunter-based squad will be fighting organised crime across the northern region from the Hawkesbury River to the Queensland border.

“They will work hand in glove with all our districts and our region enforcement squads run across the length and breadth of the northern region,” acting Northern Region commander, acting Assistant Commissioner Scott Tanner told reporters on Monday.

“And the message is clear today that if you‘re going to involve yourself in any criminal activity and organised crime, then Raptor North will be there, they’ll be looking for you, they will track you down.

A file photo of the Raptor Squad during a previous operation in the Hunter. Picture: NSW Police.

“Whether you’re in Budgewoi or whether you’re in Byron Bay, you will not be safe wherever you go.

“So the message from New South Wales police today, in particular from northern region police, is that we are out there on the front foot targeting those people who are doing harm to our community.”

Raptor North will consist of 29 officers and include detectives, operational support and highway patrol.

A file photograph of a previous operation conducted by the Raptor Squad in northern region in 2022. Picture: NSW Police.

New Raptor North co-ordinator, Detective Inspector Peter Walke, said on Monday the squad would be using “a variety of legislation and powers” to disrupt and prevent crime by organised crime networks.

“I think it’s a vast region. It’s got some major population areas such as the Newcastle Hunter area, pushing up into the north coast of New South Wales, and it’s also very transient, the gateway between New South Wales and Queensland, for holiday-makers,” Det Insp Walke said.

“It’s very attractive for those involved in drug supply.”

He later added: “We look forward to working with the police districts in northern region, supporting their operations and also using their intelligence to formulate our own operations and investigations.

“Our intelligence suggests that [organised crime groups] have known for a while this has been coming and they’re very wary of the establishment of Raptor North.

“If you are involved in organised crime, or violent crime in the northern region, you will come under the radar of Raptor North.”

Acting Assistant Commissioner Tanner said the movement of organised crime outside the metropolitan areas needed a concerted approach from law enforcement.

“There‘s always going to be movement in organised crime, for when you can target one location, they will then try and find their marketplace somewhere else,” he said.

“So the fact that people are moving out of the metropolitan locations into the regional areas, is something that was identified by New South Wales Police, and the creation of the squad allows us to have better intelligence on the ground, and better capability on the ground.

Deputy Premier and Minister Police Paul Toole said the squads would continue to expand the successful tactics used by the Raptor Squad in regional areas. Picture: Seb Haggett

Deputy Premier, Minister Regional NSW and Minister Police Paul Toole said the Hunter-based Raptor North would continue to expand the proactive and disruptive tactics employed by the Sydney-based Raptor Squad.

“The Raptor name has become synonymous with dismantling organised crime in this state. Crime knows no boundaries, and as our regional communities to grow, it is critical resources are directed to where they need to go to disrupt these networks,” Mr Toole said.

“Since July, we’ve boosted total Raptor Squad numbers by 30, with police now able to mobilise a Raptor North team of 29 and Raptor South squad of 25.

“These squads are sending a clear message to organised crime networks thinking they can slip under the radar or spread their tentacles in the region: Raptor is watching and the only part of the regions they’ll see is the inside of one of our prisons.”