The manhunt for father and son fugitives Gino and Mark Stocco has expanded deep into NSW after a possible sighting of the duo's stolen land cruiser on Saturday night at a service station.
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NSW Police say the vehicle may have been involved in a petrol theft from a station off the Hume Highway in Gundagai, nearly 200 kilometres northeast of the Victorian border.
The vehicle involved in fail-to-pay incident has South Australian number plates S415 AZL, which has been previously linked to the Stoccos.
The last confirmed sighting had been more than 48 hours old, when they rammed a police car in the rural township of St James in Victoria at 2pm on Thursday. That was more than 320 kilometres away.
The heavily-armed duo have been able to travel thousands of kilometres over the last week across two states largely undetected by police on high alert.
Victoria Police have been investigating dozens of suspected sightings of fugitives Gino and Mark Stocco across a wide-swath of north-eastern Victoria.
Initial doubts about that incident in St James - and a now discredited sighting nearly 200 kilometres away on Wednesday morning - have led police to establish a two-day cordon around Yea that was finally called off on Friday night.
Assistant Commissioner Rick Nugent said that after confirmation the Stoccos had in fact been responsible for ramming the police car search efforts were now focused on areas around Wangaratta, Benalla and northwards to the NSW border.
"As a result we've broadened our search area. We have a police presence along the border, we have a police presence along back roads, main roads and country towns," he said.
"Then it's particular observation points now together with roving patrols of specialist police."
Assistant Commissioner Nugent has conceded on Saturday morning the fugitives may have travelled long enough and far enough to have headed back into New South Wales or even South Australia.
Victoria Police has asked the public to remain vigilant and report any suspected sightings of the fugitives or vehicle despite being inundated with reports over the last day.
"We have discounted most of them but we are getting a lot of information in this area and for that reason we are going to continue focusing in this area," he said.
Adding to the confusion have been numerous contradictory, and ultimately so far incorrect or unconfirmed, reports made by the public to police suggesting they may have changed cars or appearances. One tipster even claimed spotting the Stoccos in the centre of a Victorian country town using a bank ATM.
Police do say the Stoccos have attempted to modify the white Toyota LandCruiser in a bid to disguise the vehicle, which is a common make in country and rural areas.
At its last confirmed sighting in St James, the Toyota has white rims, a distinctive bullbar, a yellow flashing light near the top part of the cabin, a towing hitch, L-Plate, mudflaps that are cut in half and external decals.
Several number plates have been used on the vehicle, including BV70WP (yellow NSW plates), ZUE632 (blue and white Victorian), YHS085 (blue and white Victorian) and S415AZL (South Australian black and white).
The manhunt for Gino and Mark Stocco began in Wagga Wagga, NSW, last Friday after the duo shot at police.
They have since criss-crossed two states in a stolen white Toyota LandCruiser, with police tracking them to Holbrook on the weekend, Euroa on Monday, then Tumbarumba (NSW) around Tuesday, Bairnsdale on Wednesday and St James on Thursday.
