A car that rammed police in northern Victoria was not the same one two of Australia’s most wanted fugitives were last seen in, and Victoria Police do not believe the pair were behind the wheel.

Police continue their hunt for Australia’s most wanted fugitives, Gino and Mark Stocco, who have been on the run for eight years and were this week seen moving around northern Victoria.

The latest sighting of the father-son duo was by police at a station post near Castella, heading north on the Melba Highway about 1am Thursday, towards Glenburn.

Police said they were driving at high speeds of up to 140km/h in a stolen Toyota Landcruiser.

The duo, who police warned could be heavily armed, are wanted for a number of crimes including arson, fraud and allegedly firing shots at a pursuing police car in Wagga Wagga last Friday.

On Thursday afternoon Victoria Police confirmed a vehicle, which rammed a police car near Lake Rowan, in Benalla, in Victoria’s north-east, was not the same vehicle being driven by the fugitives.

Gino and Mark Stocco were reportedly spotted at a Euroa petrol station on Monday.

A police spokesperson said in a statement that police didn’t believe they were driving the vehicle.

They said officers would continue to focus their search for the wanted pair in the Yea area, about 120km south-west of Benalla.

Victoria Police Acting Superintendent Dan Trimble said a highway patrol intercepted the car “for a routine check and it reversed into their vehicle and then took off”.

“There was two people in the car and they haven’t been identified … we don’t believe it was them, and we’re maintaining our search in the Yea area at this stage,” Supt Trimble said.

He said police had increased patrols around Lake Rowan searching for the car involved in the ramming incident.

Police warned the public to be vigilant and not approach the pair, who were believed to be carrying a semi-automatic rifle as well as a shotgun.

On Sunday night, the owner of a Landcruiser reported it stolen from his property at Little Billabong, north of Albury in NSW.

The men were later reportedly seen at a petrol station at Euroa, in Victoria.

Police confirmed the ute spotted near Castella on Thursday morning was the same vehicle stolen in NSW and both men were said to be in the car.

Detective Inspector Ian Campbell said during a press conference later on Thursday, a shooting at a highway patrol car in Wagga Wagga during a random intercept had sparked the intensified manhunt.

“It was a desperate act by two men who might have panicked purely because they were fearful of being caught with weapons on them,” Insp Campbell said.

Police also stressed that despite having been shown in pictures to have long hair and beards, the pair are clean shaven with short hair.