POLICE have charged a man with a number of offences after he was arrested in a Thirroul car park on Sunday as part of a road safety blitz in the Illawarra.

Operation Dissent is conducted throughout the year in the region and targets illegally modified vehicles involved in street racing, burnouts and other traffic offences.

During a one-day blitz on Sunday 18 August 2024, Illawarra Traffic and Highway Patrol, with assistance from Transport for NSW compliance inspectors, issued a number of owners with directions to attend an inspection site established at Bulli.

As a result, 26 vehicles were inspected, with 12 issued major grounding defect notices and 12 drivers were issued with notices only allowing them to drive their vehicles home.

Police also issued 69 traffic infringement notices and conducted 26 breath tests and 26 drug tests.

Two drivers were charged with drink driving offences and four drivers were charged with drug driving offences.

Thirteen vehicles failed to attend the inspection site at Bulli and were referred to Transport for NSW inspectors for further action.

Of note, about 8.50am on Sunday, a 20-year-old man was seen driving a Golf GTD hatchback along Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Austinmer.

A short time later, police approached the man inside the car at a carpark on King Street, Thirroul, before he was arrested and taken to Wollongong Police station where he was charged with 11 offences:

• Hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty
• Carry cutting weapon upon apprehension
• Custody of a knife in a public place
• Two counts of possess prohibited drug
• Licence expired more than two years ago
• Use unregistered registrable Class A motor vehicle on road
• Use uninsured motor vehicle
• Use vehicle in contravention of minor defect notice
• Two counts of use Class A vehicle with unauthorised number plate affixed

The man is currently before the courts. Investigations as part of Operation Dissent continue.

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