African gangs target of new NSW Police taskforce

NSW police are forming a special strike force to investigate a series of blitz style robberies carried out on electrical stores across the city believed to have been carried out by African youths.

• The violent youth gangs terrorising Melbourne’s streets

NSW police are forming a special strike force to investigate a series of blitz style robberies carried out on electrical stores across the city believed to have been carried out by African youths.

At least six stores across northwest Sydney have been targeted by thieves in recent weeks with three on Saturday which follows a trend started by gangs in Melbourne where the thieves race in and grab high priced electrical equipment and flee.

The gangs target stores such as JB hi-fi and Bing Lee and are believed to be responsible for robberies at Artarmon, Top Ryde, Castle Hill, Rhodes, Strathfield and Rouse Hill, Campbelltown, Carlingford, Chatswood, Artarmon, Burwood and yesterday East Gardens.

The gangs target stores such as JB hi-fi and Bing Lee. Picture: NSW Police

“Ryde detectives are working with investigators from the State Crime Command Robbery and Serious Crime Squad to identify, locate and arrest groups of offenders, responsible for a series of recent thefts, including three on Saturday at retail stores in Artarmon, Castle Hill and Top Ryde,’’ police said yesterday.

“Officers are already gathering evidence including CCTV from each of the crime scenes.”

The thieves use intimidation when entering the stores before fleeing with products like Apple watches, iPhones and even a $4000 MacBook Pro.

In all cases the thieves were described as being of African appearance but police will now want to examine if they three robberies were linked. Police said no one injured in the robberies

An 81-year-old woman was knocked over and fractured her pelvis during raid at Casula. Picture: NSW Police

They are also looking into other similar incidents across the metropolitan area to see if there are any similarities.

“”We could be looking at copy cat situation, which appears to have started in Melbourne ‘’ one police source said.

“”Also they may not be from one group but a mixture of a couple of young gangs,’’ he said.

In April this year group of teenagers of African appearance entered a Telco store in Casula and attempted to rob the store. Another group tried to distract staff while their accomplices tried to rip phones from display cases and benches.

Police could be looking at a copycat situation

which appears to have started in Melbourne.

As one of the teenagers left the scene an 81-year-old woman was knocked over and had to be taken to hospital after she fractured her pelvis.

In January 10 African youths were arrested and charged over a series of assault and robberies on strains and near stations in the Blacktown area.

“”There have been some isolated incidents of young groups of African teenagers involved in some crimes, but it is on a very minor scale,’’ another police source said.

“Realistically there are groups of caucasians, islanders and Middle Eastern kids causing trouble across Sydney, and in fact many are not even ethnically based just young kids getting trouble together,’’ he said.