Police ramp up search for Dezi Freeman near Mount Buffalo as manhunt enters 37th day

Nearly 100 extra officers and cadaver dogs have swept bushland near Porepunkah, as the search for alleged police murderer Dezi Freeman continues.

The search is part of a flurry of police activity in Victoria’s north-east in recent days.

The bushland at Mount Buffalo is where Freeman was last sighted after the shooting deaths of Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, and Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, at a rural property in Porepunkah on August 26.

Images released by police on Thursday show officers in high-visibility clothing forming a line while combing the dense undergrowth, and scouring paddocks near the mountain.

This week’s operation near Porepunkah also involved specialist search dogs from Queensland Police, which a Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed were cadaver dogs.

“We are following up all possible avenues,” they said.

A no-entry sign, barriers and tape barred access to the Mount Buffalo National Park on the outskirts of Porepunkah on Thursday afternoon as police continued their search for Freeman in intermittent rain and single-digit temperatures.

An LED screen by the main gate on Mount Buffalo Road displayed the words “National Park closed” together with a yellow warning sign.

This masthead was unable to see the officers combing the mountainous terrain, home to sheer cliffs, dense bush and granite tors.

The latest search at Mount Buffalo comes a day after police converged on a property in Goomalibee – an hour west of Porepunkah – and intercepted a man in the town of Undera, a further 80 kilometres west.

Both the property and the man intercepted were cleared of involvement in the Freeman case.

“It follows intensive searches conducted by tactical police over the last several weeks,” police said in a statement.

On Wednesday, officers swooped on the property in Goomalibee, down a narrow country road lined with mature gum trees and blooming canola fields.

Specialist police units, including as many as 20 police vehicles and a helicopter, were deployed as part of the planned operation on Wednesday afternoon.

By Thursday morning, there was no sign of investigators at the property which features a long driveway that leads to a small collection of buildings and sheds surrounded by paddocks.

Police said Thursday’s movements were part of the ongoing investigation, continuing work by detectives to explore all avenues of inquiry.

Sharon Purcell, a Goomalibee farmer, reported seeing “a whole lot of unmarked police cars” stationed on a driveway at her neighbouring property.

Speaking to this masthead on Wednesday, she said she had not received any information from police about the operation before first noticing emergency services in the area about 2.45pm.

“The chopper’s gone now, it might have been up there for an hour,” she said. “It just about sent my cattle crazy. There’s a heap of bloody vehicles, I’ve probably seen about 20.”

Other Goomalibee neighbours, who did not want to be identified, reported seeing about a dozen police cars and a couple of ambulances on Wednesday afternoon.

They said the police helicopter flew up and down over Broken Creek for a couple of hours before heading off.

The police vehicles stayed in the area until after dark.

One resident said police would not tell them what was going on.

“I made sure I locked every door,” they said.

De Waart-Hottart and Thompson were part of a group attempting to serve Freeman with a warrant over alleged historical sex abuse when they died.

Another detective was seriously wounded in the incident.

Freeman then fled into nearby bushland and has not been seen since, despite a search involving hundreds of police that has gone on for more than a month.

Police confirmed earlier this week they had scaled back that operation.

The renewed search near Porepunkah comes as the region continues to struggle with economic downturn as a result of the police search.

Marcus Warner, the president of the Bright and District Chamber of Commerce, said struggling businesses in Porepunkah were yet to receive financial assistance from the state government, following an announcement on September 15 that $5000 grants would be made available to eligible local operators.

“[They] have only received a single email yesterday evening to say they’re working on it still,” Warner said.

“There are businesses that have made no income since the day the incident unfolded.”

With Alexander Darling

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.