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 in a widening investigation into Dezi Freeman’s movements and possible support network.

Detectives now believe Freeman likely travelled into NSW while he was on the run after the Porepunkah shootings, in what investigators describe as a seven-month manhunt that ended when police shot him dead in March.

Victoria Police and NSW Police carried out the operation on June 16 as part of Taskforce Summit and NSW Strike Force Namberta. Searches were conducted at rural properties in Buckland, Stanley and Lucyvale in Victoria, and at homes in Greenwich Park, Tarlo, Wombeyan Caves and Umina Beach in NSW.

Two men were arrested during the raids. A 64-year-old Lucyvale man was arrested in Wodonga and later released pending further investigation. A 47-year-old Wombeyan Caves man was arrested in Greenwich Park on unrelated warrants.

Police also seized a range of electronic devices during the searches.

The investigation widens

Detective Inspector Anthony Gasparini said police now believe Freeman likely moved between Victoria and NSW while evading capture and may have received assistance from different people.

The latest operation is aimed at identifying and holding to account anyone who may have helped Freeman survive and remain out of custody after the August 26, 2025 shootings at Porepunkah.

That attack left two Victoria Police officers dead and another injured. Freeman then remained the subject of a major search before police shot him dead at a property in Thologolong near the Victoria-NSW border on March 30, 2026.

The cross-border raids suggest investigators are still piecing together where Freeman went during the seven months between the shootings and his death, and whether people in both states provided support, shelter or transport.

What police are examining next

Police are continuing interviews with people linked to Freeman’s movements.

Investigators are also expected to review the electronic devices seized in the operation, which could help establish who Freeman met, where he travelled and how he was able to avoid capture for so long.

Further arrests or charges remain possible if police can corroborate evidence that he received assistance while he was on the run.

For the families of the dead officers and the Porepunkah community, the case remains active long after Freeman’s death as police try to build a clearer picture of how the fugitive evaded capture and who, if anyone, helped him do it.