Man trying to evade police busted hiding in bushes in Coburg by infra-red helicopter vision

Infra-red footage from a police chopper has led to a dramatic arrest during a crime blitz in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

Police chopper footage has shown the moment a man hiding in bushes is arrested during a major crime blitz in Melbourne’s north.

He was detained during Operation Hornets, in which 25,300 cars were scanned by automatic number-plate recognition technology over a three-night crackdown.

Crime figures were singled-out by police as a major element of Hornets.

The regos of those linked to organised serious crime, dangerous driving and recipients of firearms prohibition orders were programmed into the on-board terminals of officers before the northern suburbs operation last weekend, code-named Hornet.

Helicopter footage shows suspects jumping from a car in Coburg.

Those suspects triggered a specific alert when their vehicles crossed paths with police cars equipped with ANPR equipment and were pulled over.

Hornets, which aimed to disrupt the movement of weapons and drugs on road networks, was run by the northwest metro regional crime squad with help from the VIPER taskforce, the air wing, dogs squad and local officers.

It is expected the tactic will be used in future operations.

Main routes through suburbs including Broadmeadows, Coburg, Craigieburn, Fawkner, Glenroy and Tullamarine came under heavy scrutiny.

Operation Hornets ran for three days in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

Eighty vehicles registered to serious criminals were checked and seven people arrested in what is believed to be the first operation of its type in Victoria.

An imitation gun and cocaine was found in a blue Audi sedan intercepted on Ripplebrook Drive Jacana on Saturday night.

On the same evening, a driver recorded a positive drug test and his Mercedes-Benz coupe was impounded after he was pulled over in Maffra St, Coolaroo.

Just before midnight on Sunday, police tried to intercept a blue Toyota Camry on Sydney Rd, Coburg.

The VIPER taskforce, the air wing, dogs squad and local officers were all involved in the operation.

The vehicle slowed but sped off as police exited their car, leading to a police helicopter being called in to track the Toyota.

Infra-red footage from the chopper showed it pulling over soon after in Rose St where two women were arrested as they walked away.

A man can be seen hiding in a front yard as air wing officers guide colleagues on the ground to him and he is arrested.

A 32-year-old woman was later charged with serious driving offences, including evading police.

The man, 42, was charged with drug possession.

Insp. Patrick Watkinson of northwest metro regional crime said the force was constantly looking at new methods and strategies.

“Anyone who makes a conscious decision to evade police can expect to receive our full attention. We have eyes in the sky and on the ground to track cars that drive off from police,” he said.

“When offenders are identified, we respond en masse and ensure they are swiftly arrested for any offences, whether it’s carrying illegal weapons or drugs, evading police or speeding.”