Princess Anne has paid tribute to two slain Victoria Police officers as investigators reveal a new high-tech tactic in the ongoing hunt for accused cop killer Desmond Freeman.

The Princess Royal, 75, laid a wreath at a Victoria Police memorial in Melbourne on Monday, honouring Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, who were shot dead while executing a warrant in Porepunkah on August 26.

Her visit, part of a four-day Australian tour marking the centenary of the Royal Australian Corps of Signals, came as police intensified the manhunt for Freeman, also known as Dezi Freeman, who remains missing despite one of the largest search operations in Victorian history.

The royal tribute brought solemn recognition to a tragedy that has shaken V

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