By Andrew Starke
Police from the Metropolitan Robbery Unit have charged four men over the armed robbery of two Sydney hotels, one this weekend and another earlier this month.
The arrests were carried out by Strike Force Dyle, a unit established in January to investigate armed robberies within the North West Metropolitan Region.
Police were following a 1994 blue BMW sedan along the M4 at Prospect shortly after 9pm yesterday (March 13) when it stopped and three men ran from the vehicle.
A man was arrested in Blacktown Road while two were arrested in Toongabbie Road. A fourth man was arrested in the driver’s seat.
During a search of nearby bushland, police found a handgun fitted with a silencer, three balaclavas, gloves and dark clothing in a backpack. These have been seized for forensic examination.
Last night, with the assistance of detectives from North West Metropolitan Region, four search warrants were executed and a rifle, replica pistols, rounds of ammunition and clothing were seized.
The four men are between 18 and 22 and have been charged various counts relating to the robberies at a hotel in Prospect on March 13 and a hotel in Lalor Park on March 7.
All the men were refused bail and will appear in Blacktown Local Court later today.