Monday, 20 August 2007 - 8:28am |
Waikato

Op Phil Release 3

1 min read

MEDIA RELEASE

WAIKATO POLICE DISTRICT

20 August 2007

Operation Phil, has been boosted by the addition of 13 investigators from around the country, raising the investigation team to a total of 25, as Hamilton Police work on identifying the man responsible for three serial sex attacks in the city between April and July this year.

The additional staff comes at the same time as public response provides more information for the team to work on and includes a man referred to Police, now arrested, for attempting to sell prescription medicines in a local bar.

The 19-year-old Hamilton man was confronted by bar staff who responded to calls from concerned patrons. It was then the man was found to be in possession of a dentistry aesthetic. The bar staff contacted Police and the man was arrested last week. The man had no idea what the item was and the effects of the drug on persons.

Police are pleased that bar staff took control and referred the matter for investigation. This positive action indicates a signal to the public that such behaviour will not be tolerated by bar management in their establishments together with a heightened public awareness about looking after each other.

The man will appear in the Hamilton District Court today, on charges of theft and attempting to sell a prescription medicine.

The Operation Phil team will spend their time speaking with those persons nominated by the public as looking like the identikit picture released previously. There have been in excess of 100 nominations from the public alone and investigators will speak with every one of them.

The head in the Operation Phil investigation team, Detective senior Sergeant Chris Page of Hamilton CIB said the original message put out by Police remains the same, that is;

Ensure you make plans to get home and stick with them.

Look after your friends.

Don't accept offers of assistance from strangers.

There will be a press conference relating to this release held at the Hamilton Central Police Station at 10.30am today.

END