naden

FUGITIVE Malcolm Naden has broken into a house 30km from his campsite, giving police their best idea of his whereabouts since he shot an officer and escaped their net earlier this month.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/searching-for-bush-bandit-malcolm-naden/story-e6freuy9-1226224886100
naden

FUGITIVE Malcolm Naden has broken into a house 30km from his campsite, giving police their best idea of his whereabouts since he shot an officer and escaped their net earlier this month.

Teams of police and specialist dogs were flown to the break-in location and surrounding areas on Friday as the hunt for the accused double murderer continues.

"He's obviously had to steal from this property because he's got no supplies, we got all his gear at his campsite," a senior police source said yesterday.

Authorities lost Naden on December 7 after he shot a 33-year-old police officer at his campsite near the tiny town of Nowendoc. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the latest break-in occurred between Monday and Thursday in an area up to 30km from where his campsite was discovered.

Assistant Police Commissioner Carlene York, head of the operation to catch Naden, would not be drawn on the latest breakthrough, but said leads were being relentlessly pursued.

"We've been clearing out cabins and getting in touch with the community," she said. "We seized a whole lot of different items for forensic investigation."

Police recovered two guns from Naden's campsite that were hidden under a log and jammed inside PVC pipes.

Ms York added that more than 70 calls had been received by Crime Stoppers since the reward was raised from $100,000 to $250,000 for information leading to his capture.

After years in the bush, police believe his smell no longer resembles that of a "normal human", a source said, making it more difficult for the dogs to track.

Officers believe the fugitive is travelling day and night because of his extensive knowledge of the terrain.

"We're getting tactical advice about how far he could travel - we've got fresh staff out searching," Ms York said.

"He's very experienced in travelling across that ground, which is an advantage to him; we're aware that he's travelled around there before."

The break-in is understood to strongly resemble Naden's previous thefts.

During the last known robbery before he shot at police, Naden stole pyjamas, salt, sugar and flour from a hut before meticulously placing items back on their shelves. Basic goods and tinned food are understood to have been stolen during last week's theft.

Despite the efforts to find him, Naden has evaded capture for seven years.

Police will reassess their commitment to the operation as early as Tuesday to decide how to manage the search in the mid-to-long term. It is understood police will dramatically scale down the search over the Christmas and New Year period.

Senior police said they remain hopeful of finding the bushman, but concede that their window of opportunity is diminishing with each day that passes.

"You need a fair bit of luck up there - it's very easy to evade in bushland," another senior police source said. "All the luck's been on his side until now, but the weather is changing so we are hoping that that will tip things in our direction."