Detectives from the State Crime Command's Robbery and Serious Crime Squad and Mid North Coast Police District established Strike Force Yengo to investigate several armed robberies between February and October, which are alleged to be linked.

Four men were charged by strike force detectives in October, and a further two men were charged in November. They remain before the courts.

Following further investigations, Strike Force Yengo detectives applied for an arrest warrant for a 27-year-old man, who could not be located.

Just after 1pm yesterday (Thursday December 12 2019), officers from Mid North Coast Police District arrested the man after seeing him enter a supermarket on Elbow Street, West Kempsey.

He was taken to Kempsey Police Station, where he was charged with four counts of robbery armed with offensive weapon, attempt robbery armed with offensive weapon, attempt in company rob while armed with dangerous weapon, three counts of take/detain person in company with intent to obtain advantage, and two counts of conspiracy to commit offence.

Police will allege in court that the man was involved in armed robberies at Sawtell on Sunday February 10 2019 and Port Macquarie on Tuesday February 12 2019, attempted armed robberies at Sawtell on Sunday February 10 2019 and Macksville on Sunday October 6 2019, and a conspiracy to commit armed robberies at Nambucca Heads and Kempsey in October.

The South Kempsey man has been refused bail to appear at Kempsey Local Court today (Friday December 13 2019).

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