Police have arrested seven people following an operation this morning as part of the investigation into the suspicious disappearance of Adelaide man Kerry Giakoumis.
Taskforce detectives arrested six men and one woman in Melbourne this morning including:
• A 44-year-old Keilor Downs man;
• A 21-year-old West Melbourne man;
• A 23-year-old Mernda man;
• A 22-year-old St Albans man;
• A 26-year-old St Albans man;
• A 25-year-old Laverton man; and
• A 46-year-old Diggers Rest woman.
All seven people will now be interviewed by police.
Warrants were also executed in conjunction with the arrests at residential properties in Keilor Downs, Mernda, West Melbourne, St Albans, Laverton and Diggers Rest.
Searches at those properties remain ongoing.
Five Firearm Prohibition Order (FPO) compliance checks were conducted on FPO holders connected to the Hells Angels in Wantirna South, Epping, Yarra Glen, Roxburgh Park and Berwick.
A 48-year-old Wantirna South man has also been arrested in relation to a theft investigation.
Earlier this week, police executed a warrant at the Hells Angels club house on Lipton Drive in Thomastown.
No one was arrested, however a number of items including weight benches were seized and are still being forensically examined.
Over the past four weeks including as recently as this week, extensive searches of the Jacksons Creek area in Diggers Rest have been conducted in an effort to locate Kerry's remains.
This follows information that was provided to police in relation to the investigation.
At this stage, Kerry's body is yet to be located.
The 29-year-old was last seen at the Hells Angels club house on Lipton Drive, Thomastown in the early hours of Wednesday, 10 June 2020.
Kerry had travelled from Adelaide to Melbourne on 5 June, 2020 with two associates who police believe are members of the OMCG.
Kerry had told family that he intended to work here as a concreter.
It's understood that Kerry was not a patched member of the Hells Angels OMCG.
Whilst in Melbourne, Kerry regularly spoke with his family in South Australia and his mother had booked a flight for Wednesday, 10 June 2020 for him to return home on.
Kerry didn't board the flight and contact with his family ceased.
They subsequently reported him missing to police, and his disappearance continues to be treated as suspicious.
A taskforce has been established to investigate Kerry's disappearance and suspected murder.
This includes officers from the Homicide Squad, Echo Taskforce and Missing Persons Squad.
Investigators from the taskforce are also working closely with South Australia Police to investigate a number of avenues of enquiry within Adelaide.
Detectives still believe it is likely some kind of dispute has taken place on the night Kerry was last seen and that may be connected to other members or associates of the Hells Angels OMCG.
In June last year, detectives from the Homicide Squad and Echo Taskforce executed warrants at several properties including the Thomastown clubhouse.
A number of public appeals have also been made since Kerry's disappearance last year and investigators are again asking for anyone with information to come forward.
Detectives are particularly keen to speak to anyone who has information about what happened at the clubhouse or any other location in the early hours of 10 June.
They would also like to hear from anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the Jackson's Creek area around the time Kerry went missing.
Investigators are also re-releasing a number of images of Kerry.
Anyone with information about Kerry's disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Quotes attributable to Detective Superintendent Paul O'Halloran, Crime Command:
"Today's arrests are as a result of a significant operation over the past 15 months involving police from specialist units working together as part of the investigation taskforce.
"We have been extremely clear that every avenue of enquiry in relation to Kerry's disappearance will be followed up by investigators.
"Every single new piece of information that comes to us about this investigation - whether this is here in Victoria, in South Australia or elsewhere - will be actively pursued.
"The Hells Angels is a group well known for significant violent offending and on this occasion, it's left a family without their beloved son and no answers as to why.
"We've said previously that investigators are of the strong belief that Kerry has met with foul play and every piece of information we have just supports this.
"I can assure those responsible that taskforce investigators will be unrelenting in their efforts to hold those responsible to account.
"There will be people out there who have information about what happened to Kerry and who is responsible, and again I am appealing for those people to come forward and speak to police.
"I also believe there are likely to be people out there who don't agree with what has happened to Kerry, and that it went too far. This is your chance to tell us your version of events."
