STAR Group officers raid homes as four arrested over stabbing at Craigmore

Specialist officers and gang detectives have raided four homes in Adelaide’s north, arresting and charging four young men over a brutal stabbing.

Three teenagers and a man have been arrested and charged with serious offences after a stabbing in Adelaide’s north earlier in the week.

Police and paramedics rushed to the scene of a serious assault at Birmingham Drive, Craigmore about 2.15pm on Tuesday, where they found a man with stab wounds.

The 19-year-old man was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a serious condition. His injuries are life-threatening.

The suspects fled the scene before police arrived.

Crime scene investigators and Northern District CIB detectives attended the scene.

On Friday, detectives from Operation Meld, northern district and western district and SAPOL’s specialist STAR Group officers searched four northern suburbs home as part of the investigation.

Four young men were arrested and charged with aggravated affray, including a 17-year-old Parafield Gardens boy, an 18-year-old Munno Para West man, a 19-year-old Andrews Farm man and a 27-year-old Mawson Lakes man.

They were all refused police bail and are behind bars.

They are set to appear in the Elizabeth Youth and Magistrates Courts at the earliest opportunity, police said.

The escalation of violence between feuding Adelaide gangs has been under the microscope of police for some time, with senior police forming a special taskforce called Operation Meld in 2021.

In April last year, 12 men and a teenager were arrested after Victorian man, Ngor Bol, 25, was found with multiple stab wounds in the CBD near North Tce and later died.

The gang members are concentrated around Munno Para, Andrews Farm, Craigmore, Kilburn, Athol Park and Port Adelaide areas.

There are two main gangs calling themselves 051 and KBS (Killa Block Squad), and a third, smaller group called Finesse.

As recently as Wednesday, Deng Atem Machok pleaded guilty to aggravated recklessly causing serious harm over a January 2022 incident in which two groups of men clashed just off Hindley Street.

Prosecutors alleged he was among a group of KBS members who targeted a unarmed man whose brother was allegedly in 051.

In 2022, the largest of the groups – 051 – had a core membership of between 20 and 30 youths but numbers fluctuate at times. Members are of south Sudanese heritage who predominantly live in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

KBS’s official name is Killa Block Squad, comprising of youths of Sudanese, Liberian and Somalian heritage.

Anyone who witnessed this incident or has any information, CCTV or dashcam footage that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au