Police update

Operation Guardian

Police from Operation Guardian had a visible presence across Phillip Island over the weekend. As well as street patrols in Cowes, there was a road block set up at Cape Woolamai on Saturday, checking licences, to ensure people were from regional areas. Police would not provide details of any specific operations but said they were maintaining “an around the clock presence on key arterials and back roads out of Melbourne, as well as in key regional tourism hotspots”.

Cactus thieves strike again

A family in Cowes had a large number of established cacti stolen from their garden last week, some with huge sentimental value. In June, thieves were caught on security camera cutting cactus plants from the front of the Beaumont Building design office in Marine Parade in San Remo.

Car stolen

A Holden Calais was stolen from a house in Silverleaves Avenue last week around 7.45pm. The thief opened the front door of the house and took the keys from a bench inside. An 18 year old male from Kalkallo was charged with theft and aggravated burglary and bailed to appear in court in February 2022.

Bomb blast at secondary college

Wonthaggi Police, Bass Coast Criminal Investigation Unit and specialist police from the Bomb Response Unit investigated an illegal explosive device detonated in the senior campus grounds of Wonthaggi Secondary College just after midnight on October 22. The explosion rocked the nearby neighbourhood and was heard as far away as Cape Paterson. An 18-year-old male from South Dudley was arrested and charged with numerous offences relating to explosives. He was bailed to the Korumburra Magistrates' Court in early 2022.