New Zealand officers briefly joined the search for alleged Porepunkah police killer Dezi Freeman, which is now Australia’s largest ever tactical police operation.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of officers from Victoria, interstate, the Australian Federal Police and the army continue to search dense, rugged bushland in Victoria’s north-east for the fugitive, who has now been on the run for 20 days.<\/p>\n
Police revealed the New Zealand contingent took part in an intensive search on Friday in the immediate vicinity of Mr Freeman’s Porepunkah property.<\/p>\n
Acting Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations, Russell Barrett, said the operation included more than 125 specialist officers.<\/p>\n
“This included incredibly rugged areas, they were crawling through caves, they were traversing rivers and falls, they were searching plantations and gorges,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Barrett said.<\/p>\n
Searchers have endured freezing conditions at Mount Buffalo and Porepunkah.(Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
Searchers have endured freezing conditions at Mount Buffalo and Porepunkah. (Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
Police are searching small caves and mines around Porepunkah for any sign of fugitive Dezi Freeman.(Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
Police are searching small caves and mines around Porepunkah for any sign of fugitive Dezi Freeman. (Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
The search area includes steep, difficult terrain.(Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
The search area includes steep, difficult terrain. (Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
Officers search down a dirt track in the hunt for alleged gunman Dezi Freeman.(Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
Officers search down a dirt track in the hunt for alleged gunman Dezi Freeman. (Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
Police say they won’t leave until they find Dezi Freeman.(Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
Police say they won’t leave until they find Dezi Freeman. (Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
Mr Freeman is accused of shooting dead Detective Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart at his Porepunkah property on August 26.<\/p>\n
The New Zealand officers have since departed but Acting Deputy Commissioner Barratt said the resolve to find Mr Freeman had not wavered.<\/p>\n
Acting Deputy Commissioner Barrett said police have now searched hundreds of properties \u2014 “with and without warrant” \u2014 including abandoned houses, mine shafts, caves and huts.<\/p>\n
He said Mr Freeman continued to be considered armed and dangerous, adding the search area contained “so many places to hide”.<\/p>\n
Specialist officers have traversed cold rivers through the search area.(Supplied: Victoria Police)<\/p>\n
“This is a really highly technical search that requires absolutely specialist capabilities to undertake because of the dangers that are involved.<\/p>\n
“We’re coming across animals, every step is really difficult, it’s uneven ground where you don’t have line of sight of your colleagues for a lot of the time.<\/p>\n
“If we think about Freeman and what he’s capable of, every step must be taken really, really carefully when you consider what might be confronting you.”<\/p>\n
He says there had still been no confirmed sightings of Mr Freeman since the fatal shootings almost three weeks ago.<\/p>\n
“I remind the Victorian community \u2026 that this is an incredibly challenging moment in Victoria Police’s history.”<\/p>\n
Travel restrictions lifted as weeks-long search continues<\/p>\n
Authorities have now eased the travel warnings that had urged people to avoid Porepunkah, Bright and the surrounding region.<\/p>\n