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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Maroosha Muzaffar

Authorities warn locals against aiding fugitive Dezi Freeman as manhunt enters seventh day

Heavily armed police gather at a staging point during a search for a fugitive linked to the murder of two police officers, in Porepunkah on 29 August 2025 - (AFP via Getty Images)

A week-long manhunt in rural Victoria has intensified as police warned on Monday that fugitive Dezi Freeman, accused of fatally shooting two officers, is receiving assistance from sympathisers within the community.

Freeman, 56, a self-identifying “sovereign citizen”, vanished into dense bushland near rural Porepunkah last Tuesday, when officers arrived with a search warrant reportedly tied to a sex crimes investigation.

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