Police were led to double police killer Dezi Freeman by tracking a car which made repeated trips between Porepunkah and the Thologolong property where the fugitive was killed in a tense shootout, 9News has been told.
9News understands police received a tip-off to an individual close to Dezi Freeman who repeatedly made the near-200km journey from Porepunkah to the town near the Victoria-NSW border.
Detectives used traffic cameras to track the vehicle completing the trip several times, which led them to Freeman's hideout.
READ MORE: Dezi Freeman's final moments and the dramatic police operation that brought him down
While the search for Freeman himself has come to a close, police are now turning their attention to his associates.
Anyone who may have helped harbour Freeman, or transported him from Porepunkah to Thologolong, could face up to 20 years in prison.
"We're going to track backwards, work backwards from yesterday and find out to work out who did assist him and those people, when identified, will be held to account," Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said.
One neighbour said she does not believe the owner of the Thologolong property would have been connected to Freeman.
He is not suspected of any involvement and nine.com.au does not suggest he is involved in any way.
"I don't think so. He's a quiet guy, he makes fertiliser with fish, that what he likes to do, no I don't think so," the neighbour said of the owner.
"I think I met him once, he's a good friend of my husband."
READ MORE: The timeline of events that led to cop-killer Dezi Freeman's death
The owner has been living in eastern Tasmania since December and is battling a serious illness, The Age reports.
He has called a police station to make himself available whenever Victorian officers are ready to interview him, an anonymous friend told The Age.
The Age also reports the gate to the property had been left unlocked since January to allow the fire department access.
Police are expected to remain on scene for several days, combing across the property for traces of other people who may have been there recently.
Freemans body has been taken to Melbourne to be examined by the state coroner, who will hold independent review into his death.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today said the sovereign citizen movement has been a major concern for Australia's intelligence services.
"The mentality of the sovereign citizens, the head of ASIO has made very clear, warning about what this ideology represents," Albanese said.
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"They don't respect any processes, they regard the police and government and our entire society as not being legitimate."
Freeman's former friend Ray Kompe, who distanced himself from the 56-year-old father because of his extremist views, said there a small portion of the local Porepunkah community is mourning Freeman.
"I've got good friends and some of them had sympathy for him and of course there's other ones who didn't, Kompe said.
"With his sovereign citizen push, I dare say he felt an affinity for them and they felt an affinity for him."
Kompe claims his relationship with Freeman deteriorated when the self-described sovereign citizen started showing him graphic combat videos.
"I said 'listen, I know that exists but why watch it?' And he said 'because it's the reality of life'," Kompe said.
"That's why I just decided it might be best if we terminate our friendship."
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