Five young people charged over ’grab and run’ robberies across Sydney’s northwest

Five young people have been charged following a special police investigation on blitz-style shoplifting by African teens in a number of stores across Sydney since March.

Police have formed a strike force to stop a blitz of electronic shop robberies by African teens but refuse to classify them as gangs and say there are no parallels “with what’s happening in Melbourne”.

Up to nine males raided an electronic store at Taren Point yesterday, stealing laptops and TVs — the latest in a series of brazen grab and run robberies across Sydney.

Police later pulled over a car and arrested four youths, two 17-year-olds and two 16-year- olds, who have all been charged with a range of robbery offences. Three were refused bail to appear in Surry Hills Children’s Court today.

Four youths have been questioned over thefts at electrical stores across Sydney.

Officers are seeking five other men described as being of African appearance in relation to the robbery.

At the same time, Hornsby police were called to an electronics store after a report of males loitering in the vicinity. A 24-year-old man was arrested on an outstanding warrant and in possession of a suspected stolen speaker.

At least six electronics retailers across the city’s northwest have been targeted by teenage thieves of African appearance since March, with three robberies in quick succession on Saturday.

It’s prompted Ryde detectives to set up Strike Force Arpen, which will team up with central and southwest regions and enlist help from specialist intelligence analysts and the robbery squad.

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Detective Chief Inspector Glyn Baker insists the crime spree is not a copycat situation from so-called African gang activity in Melbourne and stressed that “the African-Australian community are law-abiding people”.

“I would not describe them as gangs,” he said yesterday. “I think it’s very important that we don’t draw any parallels whatsoever with what’s happening in Melbourne. What we are dealing with here is a group of young African males who are committing criminal offences.”

Detective Inspector Glyn Baker said it was important we don’t draw parallels to what is happening in Melbourne. Picture: AAP Image/Chris Pavlich

The robberies featured up to eight offenders using distraction and intimidation tactics as they raced into the stores before fleeing with high-priced electronic equipment including Apple watches, smartphones and laptops.

“It’s intimidating towards the public, it’s unacceptable,” Chief Inspector Baker said.

“I think it absolutely justifies a strike force, and we’re going to stop it … the last thing we want is an escalation, either a perceived escalation or otherwise.”

Stores such as JB Hi-Fi and Bing Lee have been targeted so far by groups believed to be responsible for robberies at Rhodes, Strathfield, Rouse Hill, Campbelltown, Carlingford, Chatswood, Artarmon, Burwood and East Gardens­. There were three organised thefts at retail stores in Artarmon, Castle Hill and Top Ryde on Saturday, with officers trawling through CCTV footage from each crime scene. Police say no one was injured.

An elderly woman suffered a fractured pelvis after she was knocked over by a group fleeing the scene of a robbery in a shopping centre in Casula.

In April a group of teenagers of African appearance attempted to rob a store in Casula and knocked over a woman, 81, who suffered injuries.

A police source said: “There have been some isolated incidents … of African teens involved in some crimes, but it is on a minor scale.’’

Originally published as Five young people charged over ’grab and run’ robberies across Sydney’s northwest