Melbourne burglary crew: Charlie Farrugia and gang jailed for citywide cannabis crop house rips
In a game of cat and mouse which echoed De Niro versus Pacino in heist film Heat, a crack police unit was tasked with taking down a sophisticated and well-equipped burglary crew hunting cannabis crop house scores. WATCH THE VIDEO
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A sophisticated burglary crew which targeted cannabis crop houses throughout Melbourne using an infra-red radar has been taken down by police.
Key players Charlie Farrugia, from Cairnlea, and Rhys Abela-Rogers, from Yarraville, and four others were sentenced in the County Court this week.
The gang hit houses in Kings Park, Sunshine North, Mulgrave, Balwyn North, Keysborough, Deer Park and Chadstone between September 2018 and January 2019.
The organised crew specifically targeted homes it believed were illegal crop houses because it was “less likely their victims would report them to police”, the court heard.
The well-equipped gang possessed various tools including forward-looking infra-red radar equipment which detected “areas of higher temperature”.
The gang used the equipment to “scout” for houses it suspected were cannabis dens just prior to the morning of each burglary.
The court heard the gang only went ahead with their heist if the house contained Asians because “Asians were more likely to be compliant with their demands”.
During one attempted heist – captured on CCTV – gang members were chased from a home by a “non-Asian” man wielding a knife.
On another heist – also captured on CCTV – the gang ransacked a home, rummaged through the fridge and menaced a young couple.
The disguised and gloved burglars always committed their heists early in the morning.
Only three houses ripped did not contain cannabis but the gang stole other items including TVs.
Victoria Police detected a pattern in the offending and mobilised a crack unit to hunt the crew down.
Investigators went in on the prowl conducting covert surveillance in areas it believed the gang could strike next.
Police caught a break when they observed gang members scouting for targets in a Toyota Aurion late on December 19 2018.
Covert operatives tracked the gang for several hours as they drove through Dingley, Noble Park, Springvale South and Deer Park.
The Aurion, fitted with stolen plates, was tracked to Abela-Rogers’ Yarraville home.
A full surveillance operation was up and running by next morning with taps put on phones belonging to Abela-Rogers and Farrugia.
A listening device and a tracking device was covertly installed in Abela-Rogers’ Aurion.
Investigators secretly tracked the crew as they prepared and struck their next targets in Keysborough and Chadstone.
Police pounced on the gang after tracking the Aurion to Preston on January 17 2019 but the crew fled.
Gang members were recorded talking about the near-miss and if the stolen plates on the Aurion had brought the heat.
The crew dismissed the possibility as the plates had been stolen from another Aurion of similar colour.
It made little difference as police moved in and arrested several members of the gang later that day.
All offenders gave a “no comment” interview but police had them done cold with various evidence including phone taps and records, CCTV, vehicles and witness statements.
Police also seized several items including tools, clothing and the temperature detection equipment.
Investigators also found evidence members had sold large amounts or intended to sell large amounts of cannabis.
It’s unknown how much cash the gang made during their five-month spree.
Farrugia, 21, who pleaded guilty to charges including aggravated home invasion, was jailed for five years and 11 months with a minimum of three years and 10 months.
Abela-Rogers, 20, who also pleaded guilty to aggravated home invasion, was jailed for a maximum seven years and 11 months with a minimum of five years.
Judge Carolene Gwynn said Abela-Rogers’ offending was so serious she “couldn’t even consider” a youth detention sentence
Dylan Farrugia, Abdulahi Ali, Jake Synan and Damien Monro, all from Melbourne’s west, all pleaded guilty to charges including aggravated burglary.
They were sentenced to maximum jail terms ranging from six years and 10 months to three years and seven months.
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