BORDER MAIL: POLICE last night swept on a central Albury house and arrested convicted rapist Dion James Johnson.
A large contingent of officers, from both Albury and Victoria, swooped on the Crisp Street house about 8pm.

Albury Insp John Wadsworth said an anonymous tip-off from the public led to the arrest of the fugitive, which was carried out without incident.

“Information and support from the local community is essential to every police investigation and this is proof of how this follows through to a successful arrest,” Insp Wadsworth said.

Victoria police had on Thursday issued a public plea for information on the whereabouts of Johnson, 25, for parole breaches after he failed to appear in Wodonga Court last month.

Johnson will face an out-of-sessions court hearing in Albury today.

Wodonga police will then seek to extradite Johnson, who has no outstanding criminal matters in NSW.

He has several outstanding charges in Victoria, including possessing a controlled weapon, assault, failure to answer bail and stealing.

He was due to face Wodonga Court on February 2 on a count of shop theft and a warrant for his arrest was issued after he failed to appear.

“He will probably be held in custody until Tuesday and then we will apply to have him extradited,” Acting Sgt Phil Ryder, from Wodonga police, said.

“It’s a great result, we definitely appreciate the excellent job Albury police have done.”

Insp Wadsworth said there had been several other people in the house at the time but that they would not be facing charges.

Johnson was sentenced on a rape charge to 30 months in jail in May, 2008, by the County Court in Melbourne.

He was also jailed for three years in October 2007 by the County Court in Melbourne on various charges including arson.

Both those sets of offences happened in Melbourne and followed an appearance in the Wangaratta Court in 2003 on charges of inflicting serious injury and threatening to kill.

Johnson had breached his parole conditions and was being sought as part of Operation ROPE.