Tara Murray
Police continue to focus on dismantling street gangs, including in Melbourne’s north-west, as part of an ongoing operation.
Operation Alliance involves teams of officers, detectives and specialist units patrolling streets, monitoring intelligence and proactively engaging with offenders to disrupt and dismantle youth gangs.
The most recent operation occurred between September 10 and 13.
Werribee, Point Cook, Melton and Mill Park were among the areas where there was a large police presence.
In total 66 people were arrested, including 23 people aged between 14 and 25.
Police laid charges of aggravated burglary, robbery, car theft, assault and criminal damage following the arrests.
As part of the operation, search warrants executed in Wyndham resulted in five arrests. Police recovered an allegedly stolen vehicle linked to four separate incidents of shop stealing and petrol drive offs in Point Cook, Woodlea, Williams Landing and Rockbank. Three of the youths were remanded in custody while two were released and are expected to be charged on summons.
Police also attended a property on Florey Avenue, Point Cook, following reports of four males acting suspiciously on September 11.
When police arrived four males got into an allegedly stolen car and drove off. The Air Wing followed the car to Shrike Terrace, Point Cook, where it was dumped. An 18-year-old man from Wyndham Vale, a 17-year-old boy from Derrimut and a 16-year-old boy from Truganina were all charged with theft of a motor vehicle.
Police also executed five search warrants across Hoppers Crossing, Werribee and Sunshine West arresting five men aged between 17 and 24. A sixth man, 22, was arrested after presenting himself at Keilor Downs police station. The six men are expected to be charged in relation to a stabbing incident at Kiloran Park in Mooroolbark in August, which left a 16-year-old boy with serious injuries.
Brimbank Divisional Commander Superintendent Michael Cruse said the blitz was a collaborative effort involving multiple policing regions.
“Dozens of offenders involved in serious and violent offending have been arrested as a result, and we’ve also engaged with a significant number of people, further boosting our intelligence holdings and giving us a chance to deter people from getting involved in gang activity before it’s too late.“
