(Joint winners)

L-R: Rusty Russell (1st Vice President, IAATI) and Jared Lacey (NSW Police)

This next award recognises an exceptional investigation that demonstrated outstanding collaboration, innovation, and tenacity in disrupting organised criminal activity across state borders.

In late 2024, a dedicated team of detectives launched an operation targeting a trio of professional offenders responsible for a spree of vehicle thefts, aggravated break and enters, and property crimes stretching from Victoria to the New South Wales Mid North Coast.

Through meticulous intelligence work, inter-agency cooperation with Victoria Police, and the skilled use of emerging technology — including vehicle diagnostic data — investigators were able to identify, locate, and arrest the offenders, recovering more than one million dollars’ worth of stolen vehicles and over $1.5 million in property.

Their commitment not only dismantled an active criminal network but also delivered one of the Motor Unit’s most successful investigations involving “keyless” vehicle theft technology.

It is my great pleasure to announce the first of our dual winners for Investigation of the Year…
New South Wales Police – Motor Unit, Financial Crimes Squad, State Crime Command for Strike Force Alboraya.