Melbourne, Jan 7 (ANI): In a random search for weapons at a Melbourne railway station after the murder of Indian student Nitin Garg, the Australian Police have found knives, a machete and knuckledusters.
A team of officers patrolled Footscray train station on Thursday searching for knives in order to show their resolve to stamp out violent street crime that is bringing a bad name to Australia.
The trial search-and-seize, dubbed operation Omni, has been made possible by a beefing up of police powers and is expected to be expanded to other suburbs.
Police have the power to search individuals at random for knives and other weapons in designated areas without a search warrant. People are scanned with a metal detector wand, then frisked and body searched if required, the AAP reports.
In all, 182 people were searched at the station in the three hours on Thursday, police said.
Seven people were found carrying 12 weapons in total.
The Police also issued four penalty notices for people carrying alcohol on public transport, hindering or obstructing an operation, disorderly conduct and drunkenness.
Deputy Police Commissioner Kieran Walshe said the operation was a success. "Today's operation has enabled us to detect these weapons before they are used in crimes, making the area much safer for train commuters and the broader community."
Acting Premier Rob Hulls has said that Nitin Garg's death "confirms absolutely that we have to do everything we can to support police to wipe out street crime, to wipe out knife-related crime, and that's why these powers are so important."
Hulls and the Deputy Commissioner met with the Indian High Commissioner and Consul General on Thursday to reassure them that Victoria was doing everything possible to bring Garg's killer to justice. (ANI)
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