Police across the north and western suburbs have arrested over 30 people over the last week as part of Operation Alliance targeting street gangs and serious violent crime.
Uniformed and specialist police from the Brimbank and Melton Divisional Offender Management Team, Gang Crime Squad, Brimbank, Melton & Wyndham Crime Investigation Units saturated the areas each night between Wednesday and Saturday last week, patrolling high volume crime areas, conducting compliance checks and apprehending any outstanding offenders.
Provisional results from the operation indicate police:
• Arrested and charged 31 people for a range of offences, including breach of bail, armed robbery, aggravated burglary, drug trafficking and theft related offences.
• Conducted 50 bail compliance checks, with 16 breaches detected
• Checked 42 people with known gang affiliations across Wyndham and Brimbank.
• Intercepted and checked 173 vehicles, with 3 being impounded. A further 1,402 vehicles were checked through Automatic Numberplate Recognition Technology.
• Issued 32 fines for breaches of the Chief Health Officer directions
Notable highlight from the operation include:
During the evening of Wednesday night, police intercepted a vehicle on the Melton highway. As a result of a search, investigators located a quantity of methylamphetamine and over $15,000 in cash along with numerous phones and other items. Two males, a 29-year-old and a 28-year-old were charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs and dealing with the proceeds of crime. The 29-year-old St Albans man was also charged with committing an indictable offences while on bail and possessing a prohibited weapon. They were both remanded in custody to appear at court at a later date.
On Thursday night, a vehicle was stolen in what appeared to be an aggravated carjacking where a knife was produced and the victim’s possessions and car were stolen. The vehicle was observed by Brimbank and Melton Offender Management team units shortly after. Police tracked the vehicle to Taylors Hill throughout the evening and deployed tyre-deflation tactics, eventually damaging the front right tyre. Two males were arrested after attempting to flee the scene, and a 19-year-old Hillside male was charged remanded with theft of motor vehicle and other serious offences.
On the same night, police also observed a vehicle in Tarneit that was linked to an alleged armed robbery earlier in the week in Werribee. The incident related to two young males who allegedly had their mobile phones and clothing items stolen after being approached by two other males during the evening of Sunday 10 October at a park.
After observing the vehicle, Wyndham Crime Investigation Unit detectives along with Highway Patrol deployed tyre-deflation tactics on Heaths Road and the vehicle eventually came to a stop in Papillon Parade.
Four offenders fled on foot, but police quickly arrested three of them nearby.
An 18-year-old Tarneit male was charged with armed robbery, assault police and breaching a court order. He was remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 11 January.
A 21-year-old Point Cook male was also charged with resist police and breaching a court order and was remanded in custody to appear at Sunshine Magistrates’ Court on 18 October.
A third male was released pending further enquiries.
On Friday night, officers from the Brimbank and Melton Divisional Offender Management Team were searching for a person wanted on whereabouts in relation to an affray that occurred in St Albans in August this year. The incident left one victim with serious injuries. Officers located the 18-year-old in the Melbourne CBD, and he was subsequently arrested and charged with affray. He was bailed to appear at court at a later date.
Detectives and police officers from the Brimbank and Melton Divisional Offender Management Team, Gang Crime Squad, Brimbank, Melton & Wyndham Crime Investigation Unit, Brimbank and Wyndham Divisional Response Units, Caroline Springs and Werribee Proactive Policing Units and the Dog Squad were all involved in the operation.
Quotes attributable to Superintendent David Jones, North West Metro Division 3, Brimbank and Melton
“We know operations such as these significantly improve community safety and reduce serious and violent offences being committed in the area.”
“Our work in this area does not stop – we will continue to monitor any persons of interest and regularly perform bail compliance checks, holding them to account.”
“These results as part of Operation Alliance were part of a combined effort by local police officers and detectives from the Brimbank and Melton Local Area Commands, Wyndham Crime Investigation Unit, Gang Crime Squad and the Dog Squad.”
