Another man has been arrested, this time on the Central Coast, following investigations into an alleged kidnapping at Muswellbrook earlier this year.
He’s the fourth person charged in the case, conducted under Strike Force Sanderston.
The incident occurred shortly before 4am on Friday 21 March, when a 25-year-old man was supposedly forced to stop his vehicle on the New England Highway near Muswellbrook.
He was targeted by a group of five males in a silver Subaru Impreza.
The man was allegedly removed from his vehicle before he was assaulted and forced into the Subaru.
He was driven to Tindale Street, Muswellbrook, where they remained for some time, before travelling to the Denman or surrounding rural area.
Officers later found the 25-year-old man at Muswellbrook railway station with facial injuries.
He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to John Hunter Hospital and has since been released.
A short time later, a 35-year-old man was stopped in his vehicle outside the same address on Tindale Street, when a Holden Commodore utility crashed into the front of his vehicle.
He was then allegedly approached and threatened by on occupant of the ute, before he drove away without injury.
Police allege the two incidents are linked.
Detectives from Hunter Valley Police District established Strike Force Sanderston to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incidents.
Following extensive enquiries and a public appeal for information, officers executed search warrants at two homes in Scone and Muswellbrook on Wednesday 7 May.
During the searches, police allegedly located a replica firearm, electronics, illegal tobacco products, prohibited drugs, and a range of property believed to be stolen .
Two men, aged 34 and 21, were subsequently arrested and taken to Muswellbrook Police Station where they were charged.
Another 28-year-old man was arrested on Monday 12 May at Muswellbrook.
He was taken to Muswellbrook Police Station where he was charged with take person in company with intent to commit a serious indictable offence, stalk/intimidate – intend fear physical etc harm (personal) and sexually touch another person without consent.
The three men remain before the Courts.
Most recently, further inquiries led Strike Force Sanderston detectives, arrested a 31-year-old man at a house in Springfield on Thursday 15 May.
The seizure was conducted with assistance from Robbery and Serious Crime Squad detectives, and officers from Raptor Squad.
The man was taken to Gosford Police Station where he was charged with six offences -intimidation, take and detain person in company with intent to commit serious indictable offence, take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, police pursuit (two counts) and predatory driving.
The man was refused bail and will appear in Gosford Local Court on Friday 16 May.
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