Three teenagers charged after aggravated home invasion in Moree

Three teenage boys have been charged following an aggravated home invasion in the state’s north, highlighting the seriousness of the youth crime crisis taking hold of country towns.

Operation Regional Mongoose police in Moree conducting a search warrant. Picture: NSW Police

Three teenage boys have been charged following an aggravated home invasion in the state’s north, highlighting the seriousness of the youth crime crisis taking hold of country towns.

The investigation was taken over by officers from Operation Regional Mongoose, a high-visibility police operation to tackle serious property-related crime committed predominantly by young offenders.

Police were called to a home on Chester St in Moree shortly before 3am on Saturday following reports of an aggravated break in.

The perpetrators allegedly broke into the home and stole electronic devices, cash, a watch, personal documents and a Mitsubishi ASX.

Just hours later, the Mitsubishi was found burnt out on Anne St in Moree.

The NSW Police riot squad was required to be called into Moree recently.

Following inquiries into multiple break-ins throughout the country town, police used a search warrant at a home shortly before 10.25am on Sunday and arrested three teens, aged 14, 16 and 17.

Officers located and seized, car keys, electronic devices, a watch, a knife, bags of cannabis seeds, prohibited weapons, and mobile phones.

Operation Regional Mongoose rolled into Moree, with dozens of NSW Police swarming the troubled town. Picture: NSW Police

The 17-year-old was charged with a number of offences including aggravated break and enter; possess prohibited drug; and having goods suspected of being stolen.

The 16-year-old was charged with a number of offences including aggravated break and enter; theft of a car; aggravated break and enter and breach of bail.

Hundreds have been arrested in regional towns since the launch of Operation Regional Mongoose. Picture: NSW Police

The 14-year-old boy was charged with a number of offences including aggravated break and enter; stealing a car; and breach of bail.

All three boys were refused bail to appear at a children’s court on Monday.

Youths are at times carrying out more than 70 per cent of crimes in NSW country towns.

NSW Police have attempted to answer the state’s growing youth crime problem with Operation Regional Mongoose, which sees a mass of officers descend on a town whose nights often consist of children – some of them as young as 10 – arming themselves with knives or machetes, and breaking into homes to steal cars, in a bid to provide a “circuit breaker”.

Souths’ stars Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell went to Moree in a bid to tackle the youth crime crisis. Picture: Richard Dobson

Last month, three black Public Order and Riot Squad 4WDs, followed by another four unmarked police cars of detectives, created a convoy travelling right through the centre of what is a small town of little more than 8000 people.

Since then, more than 145 individuals have been charged, of who 103 were just juveniles.

It also comes after Catley joined the Premier and several other dignitaries on a flight to the crime-stricken town to announce a new program aimed at keeping teenagers out of trouble.

Accompanied by rugby league superstars including Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker, Chris Minns launched Project Pathfinder.

The new project offers at-risk youths one-on-one mentorships with NRL stars, sports clinics and trips to Sydney with training and matches.

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