Two arrested during investigation into Dezi Freeman's movements as police reveal killer likely travelled to NSW

Police have arrested two men after raiding seven properties across Victoria and New South Wales as part of an investigation into Dezi Freeman’s movements and anyone who may have helped him while he was on the run.

Investigators now believe Freeman likely travelled into New South Wales during the months he evaded capture after the Porepunkah shootings, in which two Victoria Police officers were killed on 26 August 2025.

The cross-border operation on 16 June 2026 involved properties in Buckland, Stanley, Lucyvale, Greenwich Park, Tarlo, Wombeyan Caves and Umina Beach. Police also seized electronic devices during the raids.

One of the arrested men, a 64-year-old from Lucyvale, was later released pending further inquiry. The second, a 47-year-old from Wombeyan Caves, was arrested on unrelated warrants.

From Porepunkah to a cross-border probe

The latest operation is part of Victoria Police's effort to reconstruct how Freeman moved, where he stayed and whether anyone assisted him while he was wanted over the Porepunkah killings.

Freeman was killed by police in Thologolong in March 2026, ending a months-long manhunt that stretched across the border region. The new raids show investigators are still working through the practical question of how he remained elusive for so long.

Victoria Police and NSW Police, working through Taskforce Summit, have been interviewing people linked to Freeman's movements. Detectives are also analysing material seized during the raids for any evidence that could identify a support network or travel route.

What police say they are trying to establish

The central issue is not only where Freeman went, but who, if anyone, helped him move, hide or survive while he was on the run.

That question carries weight because the underlying case already sits among Victoria's most serious recent homicide investigations. The two officers killed near Porepunkah on 26 August 2025 remain at the centre of the broader inquiry.

Police have not said either of the arrested men was charged directly with helping Freeman evade capture. One arrest was followed by release pending further investigation, while the other related to unrelated warrants.

The Guardian first reported the raids and arrests on 16 June, and subsequent reporting confirmed the cross-border searches and the police view that Freeman likely travelled into NSW. The operation appears to be one part of a broader attempt to map his path more precisely.

What happens next

Further interviews with people linked to Freeman are expected, and the analysis of seized electronic devices may yield new leads.

Additional arrests or charges remain possible if investigators identify assistance that rises to the level of an offence. Police may also continue to appeal for information as they try to complete the picture of Freeman's movements across Victoria and New South Wales.

For the families of the dead officers and for the Porepunkah community, the investigation keeps open unanswered questions about whether Freeman acted alone or benefited from support while he was underground.