Police arrested 36 people and seized three stolen vehicles as part of multiple operations conducted over four nights in the Brimbank and Melton area.
Of the 36 people arrested, seven were alleged car thieves.
Police from across Brimbank and Melton saturated the streets last month, utilising specialist resources from the Dog Squad and Air Wing to catch car thieves in their tracks and recover any outstanding stolen vehicles.
Car thefts and break ins remains a significant priority for local police, with the focus being cars parked at shopping centres and railway stations in Taylors Lakes, Keilor, St Albans and Sunshine.
Police intelligence shows thieves will often try multiple cars until they find one that is unlocked to steal or take items inside.
While the focus was predominantly on car theft, the efforts also led to police identifying a range of other offending.
This includes an alleged attempted burglary on a tobacco store which was disrupted by police patrolling the area, the locating of three illegal firearms in a property in Kurunjang and apprehending a man wanted on several outstanding warrants and whereabouts.
Several concerning high risk driving offences were also identified, including drivers who would fail to stop on police direction, disqualified driving, unregistered motor vehicle, speeding and dangerous driving.
36 people were arrested during the operation, including:
• Two people were arrested after police observed a Toyota Prado with alleged stolen number plates at about 2.15am on 13 March. It's alleged the occupants were wearing balaclavas and were attempting to access a tobacco store on Ballarat Road in Sunshine. When approached by officers, it's alleged the driver sped off. The car, which was discovered to be allegedly stolen, was found abandoned a short time later, with the Dog Squad called in to assist locating the offenders. Two men, aged 17-years-old and 18-years-old, were subsequently arrested and charged with a range of offences, including attempted burglary, theft of motor vehicle and handle stolen goods.
• Units observed an alleged stolen Toyota Hilux on Kurunjang at about 11pm on 14 March, with the Air Wing tracking it to a residential address in Greenhills drive, where the two occupants exited the car and went inside the property. Police attended the address and arrested the two individuals, and while arresting them inside the property allegedly observed two firearms in the address. Police then executed a search warrant where three firearms were located and seized, including a sawn-off firearm, a rifle and a handgun. The alleged driver of the vehicle, a 36-year-old man, was arrested and charged with theft of motor vehicle and possession of a traffickable quantity of firearms and was remanded in custody. The other passenger, a 15-year-old female and another occupant inside the house, a 31-year-old female were both arrested and then released pending further enquiries.
• A man with allegedly six outstanding warrants, and six outstanding whereabouts was arrested after police observed an alleged white Ford utility driving erratically on the Melton Highway at about 2.40am on 14 March. Stop sticks were deployed, causing the vehicle to come to a stop when the driver allegedly tried to flee the area on foot. The man was subsequently arrested, with the vehicle being confirmed as allegedly stolen and displaying false number plates. The 32-year-old man was charged with a range of offences, including outstanding warrants and theft of motor vehicle. He was remanded in custody to appear at court at a later date.
• At about 12.30am on Sunday 16 March, police observed a white Jeep Cherokee displaying false number plates in Taylors Hill. Police attempted to intercept the vehicle on Calder Park Drive when it failed to stop. The alleged occupants then exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. The Dog Squad were called in to assist, successfully locating the two individuals, with one of them allegedly hiding under a car in the driveway of a property nearby. The vehicle was confirmed to be allegedly stolen, with police locating a traffickable amount of cannabis inside along with $2,500 in cash. Both males, a 21-year-old Hillside man and a 17-year-old male from the Brimbank area were both arrested and charged with theft of motor vehicle, handle stolen goods, traffick cannabis and fail to stop. Both males were bailed to appear at court at a later date.
The combined operations were conducted by general duties police, the Melton Crime Investigation Unit, Caroline Springs Crime Reduction Team, and the Melton and Brimbank Highway Patrols, and ran from 12 to 15 March. More operations are planned in the future.
Quotes attributable to Brimbank and Melton Divisional Commander, Superintendent, Michael Cruse:
"We, like the community, are rightly concerned about the amount of cars being broken into in our streets.
"Vehicle crime is a huge priority for us, with offenders arrested weekly and stolen cars regularly being recovered.
"This was a successful operation leading to 36 offenders being arrested, but it is only one example of the many ways we are constantly targeting car thefts and burglaries in our community.
"Know that police are out every day and night looking to detect offenders, prevent offending and build our intelligence holdings.
"To anyone who thinks they can drive dangerously on our roads in stolen vehicles - let this be a reminder that you will be identified and police will ensure that you are held to account."
