Four teenagers have been arrested following two carjackings - one in Sydney and another near Braidwood - which resulted in an intensive police search of bushland around Araluen.
The teenagers were eventually tracked down and found hiding in an hiding in an abandoned house on Araluen Road, Reidsdale, just before 2pm on Thursday.
The incident began around 3.40am when a rideshare driver had been threatened with a weapon by four males on Victoria Road, in Marrickville, and his vehicle stolen.
The driver, a 22-year-old man, was not physically injured.
The offenders fled south from Sydney and about 8.15am, the car - a Toyota Prius - was found alight on Braidwood Road, near Sassafras.
The vehicle fire was extinguished and the Toyota seized for forensic examination.
Then about 8.40am, officers from the South Coast police district received reports that a motorist had pulled over and picked-up three hitchhikers on Braidwood Road.
The offenders allegedly threatened the driver - a 73-year-old man - with a weapon before stealing his Mazda. The driver was not physically injured.
This stolen vehicle was involved in a short pursuit, before being located abandoned on Araluen Road, Araluen. The Mazda sedan was seized and will undergo forensic examination.
A large-scale coordinated search of the surrounding area commenced by officers from Monaro Police District, with assistance from specialist police including PolAir, the Dog Unit and Traffic and Highway Patrol Command.
The three males - aged 18, 17 and 16 - were located in the abandoned house, arrested and taken to Nowra Police Station. A fourth male - aged 17 - was arrested at Narellan Police Station earlier on Thursday.
