Victoria Police has arrested 41 people - the majority of whom are youths - in just seven days across Melbourne's east and southeast.
The alleged offenders range from just 12 years of age to 44 years old and have been charged with more than 150 combined offences relating to armed robberies, aggravated burglaries and car thefts.
Multiple units worked collaboratively, including the Southern and Eastern Regional Crime Squads, local investigators, the Crime Reduction Teams (CRTs), Operation Trinity officers and Highway Patrol, who were supported by Police Air Wing and the Dog Squad.
Police Air Wing expertise was utilised to skilfully locate offenders from the sky, who had jumped fences and were hiding in backyards and garden sheds, where they were greeted by members and police dogs on the ground.
Incidents between 27 December and 2 January include:
• On 27 December, police located two allegedly stolen vehicles being driven along North Road, Murrumbeena, where several youths attempted to flee from police after one vehicle came to a halt. Seven boys aged between 13 and 18 were arrested and charged with theft of motor vehicle.
• A 44-year-old man from Altona was arrested on 28 December after allegedly stealing a motorbike from a home in Armadale. He was apprehended in a citizen's arrest before police arrived. He has been remanded to appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 6 January.
• A 16-year-old boy from Clyde North was arrested over a spate of alleged aggravated burglaries, and a collision in an allegedly stolen car just before 3.30am on December 29. The vehicle stuck a home and the front and rear fences, as well as a pergola and two cars. The boy was charged with two counts of aggravated burglary, one count of attempted aggravated burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, and conduct endangering life. He was remanded in police custody before being bailed, to reappear in a children's court at a later date.
• Also on 29 December, a 21-year-old man from Mount Waverly was arrested in Dromana in relation to several alleged aggravated burglaries and car thefts in Portsea and surrounding areas. He was charged with eight counts of theft of motor vehicle, five counts of aggravated burglary, attempted burglary, five counts of theft, two counts of drive whilst suspended, dangerous driving at speed, and state false name. He was remanded to appear in Frankston Magistrates' Court on 22 January.
• On 30 December, a 26-year-old Narre Warren man was arrested by the Greater Dandenong Crime Reduction Team over 12 outstanding warrants relating to alleged burglaries, thefts, handling stolen goods and car thefts. He was remanded to appear in court on 14 January.
• On 30 December, a 16-year-old boy was arrested over an outstanding whereabouts for car theft.
• A 17-year-old boy was arrested on 30 December and charged with home invasion, aggravated burglary, four counts of attempted aggravated burglary, and two counts of theft of motor vehicle.
• A 14-year-old boy was arrested on the same day, and charged with home invasion and two counts of car theft.
• Four males aged 15, 19, 20 and 23 were arrested at 2.30am on December 30 following an alleged armed robbery along the Nepean Highway, Frankston, where they allegedly threatened victims with a machete and stole a mobile phone and cash.
• Four boys aged between 13 and 17 were arrested following an alleged pursuit across Melbourne's southeast on New Year's Eve. Air Wing tracked the Audi wagon from Knoxfield to the Eastlink onramp, before it came to a halt just prior to the Cheltenham Road exit at Dandenong after the tyres had been deflated by stop sticks. Three boys were remanded to appear in a children's court at a later date, while the 13-year-old was bailed.
• Three boys aged 13, 14 and 15 were arrested over 15 alleged cigarette motivated armed robberies at service stations and milk bars across Melbourne's east and southeast on 22 December. Following extensive enquiries, the trio was arrested in Noble Park on 31 December. The two older boys were remanded - one of whom was hit with 19 charges.
• Also on 31 December, a 36-year-old man from South Yarra was arrested after allegedly breaching an intervention order in Warragul. He was charged with car theft and theft from cars, as well as burglary and criminal damage. He was remanded to appear in Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court on 13 January.
• Two 16-year-old boys were arrested om the same day over a string of alleged street robberies, as well as a home invasion, aggravated burglary, and car thefts across the east and southeast. One 16-year-old boy was remanded while the other was released pending enquiries.
• On 1 January 2025, six youths aged between 12 and 19 were arrested just before 1am, following an alleged armed robbery in Blairgowrie. The group was spotted in an allegedly stolen Mercedes hatchback at a service station on Point Nepean Road, before fleeing on foot.
• On 2 January, a 19-year-old man was tracked by Air Wing allegedly travelling at 220km/h in an allegedly stolen Holden Commodore on the Eastlink in Dandenong about 1am. Officers successfully used stop sticks and the man subsequently got out of the vehicle and ran into a nearby property on Elizabeth Street in Bayswater. The teen from Bayswater was located inside and has been charged with reckless conduct endangering life and theft of motor vehicle and has been remanded in custody to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court today.
• Four boys aged between 15 and 17 allegedly threatened a rideshare driver on 2 January in Cranbourne East. The boys were arrested in the vehicle in Officer soon after.
• At 3am on 2 January, the Dog Squad located a 17-year-old boy hiding following an alleged aggravated burglary in Chelsea.
• A 32-year-old woman from the Frankston area was arrested in a car bearing allegedly stolen number plates on 2 January. She was charged with car theft, handle stolen goods, possess drugs of dependence, and negligently dealing with proceeds of crime.
Operation Trinity has been specifically targeting burglars and car thieves each night since March 2023.
The operation, which runs from dusk until dawn across Melbourne, is easily Victoria Police's most well-resourced operation.
On top of standard patrols, there are another 70 police including members of the Dog Squad, Public Order Response Team, and Air Wing, specifically tasked with preventing and responding to burglaries and car thefts each night.
As a result of this intense focus, police arrested 673 burglars and car thieves almost 1,550 times over the 12 months to September 2024.
A further 7,350 people have been processed for other offences detected by police working nightshift across the Trinity area of operations.
Quotes attributable to Southern Metropolitan Region Acting Superintendent Andrew McKee:
"While many have enjoyed time off work over the Christmas and New Year period, police have worked around the clock to keep our community safe.
"Such a significant number of arrests in such a short time is indicative of just how seriously we take this type of offending.
"A lot of these arrests have occurred under the cover of darkness. While you're sleeping, police are wide-eyed with members on ground and in the sky - no hiding place is safe for offenders.
"Our message to offenders is clear: if you want to play hide and seek with us, I can guarantee you, our members will always find you."
